Product: Galaxy National Foods Mozzarella Flavor Rice Shreds – $4.69+
Normally, when it comes to non-dairy cheese, I don’t reach for the rice-based variety that are out there. I normally go for Daiya or Veggie Shreds. However…on this occasion, I specifically needed non-dairy mozzarella for a recipe…and the only variety the store I was in had was Galaxy National Foods Mozzarella Flavor Rice Shreds.
So, what’s the difference between Rice Shreds and Veggie Shreds (both made by Galaxy National Foods)? The answer is simple. Veggie Shreds are soy-based. Rice Shreds are rice-based. See…it really is that simple.
I was actually a bit unhappy when I had to buy these, but I didn’t want to make another stop when I was out grocery shopping. I already go to enough stores as it is and I was making a conscious effort to not do that for once. So, I went with what was on hand and just hoped for the best.
Tonight, I cooked up some gluten-free, vegetarian meatballs in a tomato sauce to put on gluten-free sandwich bread…and I decided to break out the Rice Shreds and see how they went with my homemade veggie “meat”ball sammie.
I tasted a pinch of the Mozzarella Flavor Rice Shreds on their own. And, surprisingly enough, I found they tasted a lot more like mozzarella cheese than I expected. So, that was a good start. With a little sprinkling of the rice shreds onto my vegetarian sandwich, I tossed it into the microwave for 30 seconds, not expecting much of a melt to happen.
I was presently surprised when the microwave beeped and I removed the plate. The cheese had actually melted down. Better than Daiya and Veggie Shreds. I was impressed. And it tasted really good. Sometimes the non-dairy variety can have a bit of a plastic flavor to them. But not these. These were soft, and flavorful. I was beyond impressed.
What’s more, these are a fantastic source of calcium and contain no cholesterol, trans fat or lactose. YAY! I’d even be willing to say I’d try the other flavors available in the Rice Shreds line. And actually might even try the Rice Slices to see how they compare to the Veggie Slices I use in my gluten-free grilled cheese.
Yeah…I was pretty surprised and quite happily impressed. I can’t wait to top off a pizza with these!
The Celiathlete 