You know me, I'm always looking to learn more about all things food and try new ingredients. I also know that many people don't eat dairy, by choice or necessity, so I thought I'd do my part and help you choose good fauxmages (plant- and nut-based "cheeses") so you can eat everything (pizza, salads, burgers, etc.) without having to deprive yourself of "cheese."

For me, there are two important elements to consider when choosing a fauxmage: texture and taste. For the fauxmage effect to be successful, these characteristics must be as similar as possible to those of a real cheese, because, as you can imagine, no one wants to eat something that has a rubbery or plastic texture. If the taste is not exactly like that of a cheese, then the fauxmage must have something truly unique that sets it apart for me to appreciate it. For example, I am always impressed when fauxmages melt well and I can make them au gratin.

Fauxmages are really cool for people who don't eat cheese or are lactose intolerant or intolerant to dairy in general because they give them another option that (usually) tastes the same as real cheese. Honestly, you can cut up slices of fauxmage and give them to your kids and they won't even notice. Fauxmages are also a great way to test your metabolism.

Personally, I have already tried the dairy-free diet, but I have to tell you that it was difficult not to find the texture and flavor of cheese in my meals. Cheese, for me, goes in everything and it takes some. So I am happy that now there are really many options of fauxmages on the market. (I also always look at the ingredient lists and I take the ones that are as natural as possible.)

So here, in no particular order, are 5 brands of fauxmage that I think do an excellent job:

Nafsika Inc.

If I tell you that this company makes poutine cheese, does it surprise you? Well, I'll tell you honestly, it doesn't "squick squick" like traditional poutine cheese, but OMG!, it actually tastes the same! It's impressive.

My favorite fauxmage from their range, on the other hand, is the "cheddar". I put it everywhere: on my toast with "peanut" butter (yes, yes, it's delicious!), in my sandwiches... Their "feta" is also very good. It tastes really, really similar to real feta. Make a cucumber salad with grilled tomatoes and add this "feta" there, you'll see, it's the bomb!

The ingredients in these fauxmages are truly natural and there is nothing "turbo-salted". They are all very good products and, in addition, they come from a Montreal company that imports its products in bulk from Greece, but who works with them in Montreal, so I recommend them.

The Frauxmagerie

If you like creamy “Boursin” style cheeses, you’ll love the fauxmages (or rather “frauxmages”) from this Ontario company. My two favorite fauxmages are Parm Botanique (“parmesan”) and Boka Botanique. You can put slices of Boka Botanique in your burger or stuff your patty with it and, I tell you, the result will be incredible.

Zengarry Fauxmagerie

The fauxmages from this company remind me of those from La Frauxmagerie, because their tastes and textures are quite similar. What I like about those from Fauxmagerie Zengarry, on the other hand, is that they have flavors that are more out of the ordinary, like "aged cumin" and "smoked jalapeño."

My favorite is the Double Crème. Seriously, it really is like a creamy “Boursin” style cheese and it is delicious. You can eat it in chunks with grilled romaine lettuce, slice it in a burger or on top of a pizza and you will enjoy it!

Nature & Me

This Quebec company really has a nice range of products. It has more "classic" products, like a "cheddar" and a "mozzarella", which are all well executed.

I especially like cheddar and mozzarella because I can eat them with anything. Provolone is also great in burgers and hot dogs.

Nuts For Cheese

With their smoked gouda and their chipotle cheddar-style hint, among other things, this company's fauxmages are more "wild" than the others I mentioned before. The fact that there is a large selection of flavors allows me to enhance my meals without having to rack my brains, which I really appreciate. These fauxmages are also fermented and very good for the body.

My favorite fauxmage is Smoky Gouda. It tastes a lot like poutine cheese and, by telling you this, I won't surprise you by telling you that it's really good with potatoes. Potatoes stuffed with Smoky Gouda fauxmage, mmm!

And there you have it! I invite you to try the different fauxmages that these companies have to offer. You will see, you may be surprised by the results and your body will thank you!

Happy BBQ!