All the folks who are vegan, lactose intolerant, or are simply trying to cut out dairy – rejoice! The artisanal vegan cheese brand Yay! Foods just dropped a marinated, plant-based feta cheese product into selected Woolworths stores in NSW and Victoria – and oh boy, does it look incredibly promising.

Co-founded by sisters Nergiz Yuksel and Nalin Arileo back in 2017, the brand’s vegan feta boasts a full-bodied ‘Mediterranean inspired flavour’ which they claim is very much like the traditional feta we’re accustomed to.

Yay! Foods Marinated Plant-based Feta costs $14 per 300g jar.

“As Turkish Australians, we grew up eating dairy-based feta cheese. Dishes like borek, which are feta-stuffed pastries, formed part of our culinary traditions at home,” they shared.

Ever since the company was established, the pair said that attitudes toward vegan food items have drastically shifted, leaving consumers “spoiled for choice”.

Plant-based feta cheese. Image Credit: Green Queen​

All of the brand’s feta cheese is made by hand in Melbourne, using tofu, coconut oil, lemon juice, garlic, and rosemary – a killer combination that won’t disappoint.

The sisters believe that the product will be a ‘gamechanger’ and will encourage more people to eat less dairy and incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets.

“You don’t need to be vegan to enjoy Yay! Feta. People love to melt the product on homemade pizzas, stir it through pasta, or simply enjoy it on toast. You can prepare all your favourite meals and snacks with this product,” they said.

If you’re out of ideas on what types of dishes you could whip up with the product, you’ll be surprised to know that this versatile ingredient can be incorporated into tons of different things. Try making some mouth-watering, baked feta pasta (as demonstrated by Jamie Milne)!

Here’s what you need to get your hands on:

1. Cherry tomatoes
2. Feta cheese
3. Olive oil
4. Garlic (minced)
5. Salt and pepper
6. Oregano
7. Lemon zest
8. Basil
9. Any type of pasta you prefer

Start with a baking tray filled with a bag of cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper before adding the minced garlic.

Place a generous amount of feta cheese in the centre and drizzle it with more olive oil. Then, sprinkle some oregano and top it all off with freshly grated lemon zest.

Baked feta pasta! Image Credit: @everything_delish​

Pop it in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 30 to 45 minutes. While waiting for it to cook, prepare the pasta of your choice!

Once the tomatoes are cooked to perfection, take them out of the oven and add some oregano before stirring all the ingredients together thoroughly. Finally, incorporate the cooked pasta into the baking tray and give it a last stir to coat each piece fully.

Jamie Milne’s followers raved over the delicious recipe with one commenting: “This was soooo good! 10 out of 10 would recommend.”

“My mum just made this for dinner and it was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.” praised one more.

Watch the full TikTok video below to learn how exactly she did it!

Video Credit: @everything_delish​

 

[Ricci]

IT'S NOT CHEESE!! It's never seen a cow in it's life. Cheese is made from milk, milk usually comes from animals. Stop trying to take over the traditional menu items, call it something else.

 

[Penny4]

I'm lactose intolerant and this sounds awful with tofu.
Plenty of other lactose free dairy products available that are yummy.
There's Dodoni Greek Feta Lactose free that is sold in the supermarkets.