V
I am a vegetarian, and an increasingly angry one at that. Why? Because I keep finding non-vegetarian ingredients in dishes that have been labelled as vegetarian. I’ve even seen menu items containing anchovies with a little V sign next to it. Like they’re so small they’re basically vegetables.
I know that lots of people who don’t eat meat, do eat things that have animal ingredients in them, like animal rennet and gelatin. That’s their choice, fine. My problem is this: when I go food shopping or out to a cafe / restaurant and find all those helpful menu keys indicating whether things are vegetarian or vegan (usually denoted by a V, or in especially classy establishments, a drawing of a carrot), I expect that the people who have put together said menu have done their bloody research. The main offender? Cheese. The main, main offender? Parmesan. Parmesan, by definition, is NEVER vegetarian. As a Protected Designation of Origin product, it has to be produced using a specific, traditional method, and that method requires animal rennet. There are lots of veggie substitutes (like the organic Soster hard cheese), but they are not Parmesan. So when I see something on a menu that claims to both be veggie and contain parmesan, my reaction is not to assume the place is using a veggie substitute and mistakenly calling it parmesan, but to assume their definition of veggie is limited to mean no meat. It is obviously particularly a problem in Italian places, where the little V can often seem more like its eponymous offensive hand gesture than a helpful guide. Don’t even get me started on pesto (top tip: make your own).
I am not the first person to complain about this. The Vegetarian Society have launched a campaign here, to raise awareness around the subject.
The fact is there are loads of brilliant, award-winning, properly veggie cheeses around:
- The High Weald Dairy in Sussex, whose organic products you can find in lots of delis, markets, cheesemongers and organically minded shops, do some great ones. My favourites are the mild and creamy Sister Sarah goats cheese, the unashamedly strong Brother Michael and the Duddleswell sheeps cheese (great veggie substitute for Manchego or Pecorino)
- Rosary Ash – a super crumbly, creamy goats cheese from Wiltshire, rolled in edible ash. Looks great on a cheese board.
- Wigmore Sheeps Cheese – Best. Cheese. Ever.
And that’s just a small selection of my personal favourites. So no excuses. I’m off to deface some menus.
