an acquired taste?
Posted by lotus42 on Jul 16, 2007 · Member since Mar 2007 · 3081 posts
This may sound really weird, but then again, I've seen some pretty weird food combos on here...Anyway, I cooked some bulgur the other day and thought it might be good to add some nutritional yeast (i'm new at the NY). It wasn't bad but it tasted kinda funny. For some reason though, I felt like if I had it a few more times, I might like it. Does anyone else feel like nutritional yeast is an acquired taste?
I am at about the same stage with NY as you; I've had it a little, and I don't NOT like it, but it's also not my favorite thing either.
I just know it's got good nutrients I probably need? Therefore, I shall forge ahead. I also used it in a recipe in place of vegan parmesan cheese, and it turned out ok. So, it's going to be a substitution thing for me. My brother suggested using it like "cheese" on popcorn; he loves it...
I would love to hear what other, more "seasoned" NY users have to say though...
Yeah, someone else mentioned that I should try on popcorn in another thread. It didn't stick that well b/c i didn't have any spray. I should get some spray.
I was neutral with NY at first, but it's seriously grown on me. I love it now
I loved it as soon as I tasted it! I put the stuff on everything - toast, soup, noodles, tofu, and so on.
I think it varies with every person. Some never like it, some gradually come around to it, and others love it right off the bat.
I'm not a huge fan of NY either... I do like it on popcorn though but it's not worth buying it just for that. I don't miss it :P
If you are set on acquiring a taste for it, try some of the cheese sauces on this site that do not contain nuts. I have a recipe on here with nuts, but if the truth were told, I rarely use it anymore, preferring other recipes.
You could wait a while and try again. I have a list of things I would never ever eat when I was first starting into more vegan friendly things. I disliked NY, soymilk, sunflower seeds, tempeh and seitan...to name the main ones. Today, only tempeh remains on that list and I'd experiment now, but no one locally carries it.
I seriously do think that over time, after getting off meats and dairy, your ability to taste subtle and strong flavors changes. Months without cheese can be tough, but then the blessed relief of NY sauce comes along and you are hooked! You also don't have to like something because it is A) vegan B) it is good for you or C) some tells you you need to like it if you are a vegan. Phooey! Go with what you like, but try new things along over time, because you might be pleasantly surprised.
Yeah, NY is a little funny tasting. I like the flavour though - I've grown to love it - and really like it in a pita with tomato, lettuce, and mustard. Yumm.
I've only had NY mixed in things and I like the flavor it adds. I like stirring it into my pasta sauce for lunch, and I also like making "cheese" sauces with it. I'm not sure if I'd like it alone though.
About once every couple of months I'll cook breakfast - invariably a tofu scramble. I add some NY at the end and it makes the meal, even though there are so many other flavors you can't taste it.
I was neutral with NY at first, but it's seriously grown on me. I love it now
same with me.
I eat brunch at the deli at my local hfs and I always get the tofu scramble, which has NY in it. So I KNOW I like it IN stuff. I guess experiementing at home is different. I really do think I 'll like it if I just keep eating it. I really need to make the "best vegan mac and cheese ever" and dragonfly's bulk cheese mix...just haven't done it yet.
Okay, I have to admit something...
I'm a nutritional yeast virgin. ::)
What is it in the first place? What does one do with it? Does it have a taste? Where can I get some? Other than the popcorn y'all seem to be talking about so much, what do you eat it with?
Haha. I feel like I'm in sex ed right now(that's why I said the virgin thing...sorry, I couldn't help it). A girl in my class about two or so years ago asked what a condom was, and she asked those similar questions. It really made me crack up.
Ok. I'll shut up now. That was probably TMI. :o
Twink, I eat it anywhere a nonvegan might eat cheese. So, in burritos, on pizzas, sprinkled on pasta, etc. It does have a taste... a taste that's difficult to describe. In fact, even though I love NY, the best descriptions of the taste that I've seen are kind of foul... so I won't repeat them here, lol. As to where you can get it, I dunno... I buy it in bulk at my local co-op or at Wild Oats.
Lady Dragonfly's Uncheese mix is amazing!
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7126.0
I second the breakfast scramble:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=14074.0
And this lasagna is very good too:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8013.0
I like it much better mixed in things rather than just sprinkled on top.
its so wierd, i loooooove NY...but i can't stand it as a cheese sauce!?
for the popcorn, i like to sprinkle it and dill on the corn together....its amazing. even my farthest-from-nutritious-eating family fell in love w/ it from the beginning!
i also always sprinkle some on veggies and esp. tofu after stirfrying, sauteing...just to get a bit of extra Bs.
So, when you put it in burritos or on pizza, do you just sprinkle it on or mix it with something to make a sauce?
I love NY but I have found that it does weird things to my body. This may be TMI but it turns my pee like a neon yellow, does that happen to anyone else. Maybe I am just gross but I have never had the balls to ask other NY eaters if this happens to them.
I love the stuff. My first introduction to it was via The Uncheese Cookbook http://www.vegsource.com/jo/uncheese.htm. For me it was the case that I hadn't had cheese for so long that I was was unbelievably excited to eat something even vaguely analogous to it. My bf is a newer vegan and isn't all that wild about it. I sneak it into dishes where the NY flavor is more complementary than dominant.
I have never tried it but want to. I bought some in bulk at a HFS a couple of years ago. A little plastic bag full. Left it on the counter and my cats found it, took it to the floor and they all ate it. Every single ounce of it!
another reason I'm not fond of it is because it's difficult for me to find where I live. I don't want to get hooked on somethin then not be able to get it when I have a craving! ;)