By RG @ Astig Vegan
Most of us have heard of vegan cheese made of cashews, almonds, coconut, even macadamia. These days, it’s no longer a surprise thatvegan cheese exists, or good vegan cheese exists.
I remember during my early vegan years, I would avoid eating vegan cheese because I thought it tasted bland and rubbery. Now, thanks to companies like Miyoko’s Creamery, Heido Ho, Kite Hill, Follow Your Heart, and many more, we could have a delicious array of vegan cheeses.
But have you heard of pili nut cheese?
Pili nuts grow abundantlyin the Philippines and Polynesia. As a kid, I only knew about the candied kind, which are pili nuts liberally coated with sugar. I thought the candy versionwas too sweet even for a kid like me. But I guess that was just me because candied pili nuts area big hit among localsand tourists alike. In fact, candied pili nuts have made its way to other parts of the world.Here in the Bay Area, you could find these sweet snacks at Filipino and Asian grocery stores.
Not too long ago, my friend gave me raw pili nuts from the Philippines as a gift or pasalubong. I didn’t know what to do with them. Should I eat them straight? Boil them? Then I realized, why not make them into cheese. After all I learned that pili nuts have a higher fat content than macadamias, and high fat content means rich, creamy cheese. I’ll all for it!
The result tasted close to mozzarella cheese. The texturewas more on the soft side, close to a spread. I put my pili nut cheese on top of my Bibingka, crackers, and baguette. Yum!
Unfortunately, raw pili nuts are not widely available at supermarkets and grocery stores, at least not yet. If you live in the Philippines or Polynesia, you might have an easier time finding them. Otherwise, finding raw pili nuts could be a treasure hunt.
One reputable company that doescarry and sell raw pili nuts isDivine Organics. I have ordered from thembefore and the quality of the products wastop-notch.Aside from raw pili nuts, theyalso carrypili nut butter which I highly recommend in ice creams!
If you want to try your luck, you could also join our giveaway. I’ve teamed up with Divine Organics to hold an international giveawaywhereanyone in the world has a chance to win a package of raw pili nuts.
To enter:
- Simply “like” Divine Organics on Facebook
- Leave a comment on this blog posttelling us how you plan to enjoy your pili nut cheese. With crackers? In pastas?I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Rules and Details:
- Open worldwide, anyone can join!
- Same giveaway runs on the YouTube channel. You are not requiredto also participate on the YouTube channel to increase chances of winning.
- Giveaway ends at 12:00 am PST Saturday, August 1st, 2015.
- Winner will be contacted on social mediaand must respond within 24 hours. Otherwise prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be chosen.
- Winner will receive one package of Divine Organics Premium Raw Pili Nuts.
- Prize will be sent directly by Divine Organics (will not be responsible for lost or stolen item).
****GIVEAWAY CLOSED*** CONGRATULATIONS TO TINA FOR WINNING THE GIVEAWAY!
Pili Nut Cheese Recipe
Save Print
Recipe type: vegan cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw pili nuts, boiled in water and skin removed
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon acidophilus probiotic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or more if desired
- 1 teaspoon calamansi juice (or citrus of choice)
- Equipment:
- high-speed blender
- colander or strainer
- cheese cloth
- rubber band
- big bowl
- plate
- heavy weight, like a canned product or a container filled with water
- clean towel or cloth
Instructions
- Using a high-speed blender, blend pili nuts, water, and acidophilus until smooth and creamy.
- Pour in mixture to a colander that's lined with cheese cloth and secure with rubber band.
- Put a bowl underneath the colander to catch the liquid.
- Place plate on top of the cheesecloth and place weight on top of the plate to gently push liquid out of the cheesecloth.
- Cover entire set up with a clean towel or cloth.
- Set aside for 36 hours.
- Transfer cheese to a container and mix in calamansi juice and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Form into desired shape and serve.
Notes
This is not a raw recipe. Skinless raw pili nuts are hard to find, so unpeeled raw pili nuts need to be boiled in water to remove the skin. However, if you have access to skinless raw pili nuts, feel free to soak them overnight instead of boiling them in water.
You may find acidophilus probiotic at pharmacies, specialty stores, and online. Tablet form is fine.
36 hours is ideal. Do not culture for less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours.
It's best to culture in a dark, dry place.
This is a basic recipe for pili cheese. Feel free to play around with it and add more ingredients like nutritional yeast, herbs, spices, etc.
Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. For best results, I suggest letting it come back to room temperature before serving.
Discover the rich goodness of pili nut cheese and feel free to share it with friends. I had brought it once to a vegan cheese potluck and it was a hit. My friends and I enjoyed it along with vegan Brie, vegan Gruyère, and many more with white wine and vegan red wine.
