Ricotta Cheese is a staple in many Italian dishes including lasagna, stuffed shells, and cannoli but, can vegetarians eat ricotta cheese?
Ricotta cheese is often suitable for vegetarians to enjoy whereas other cheeses specifically hard cheeses are not due to containing animal products besides the dairy used for the cheese.
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Can Vegetarians Eat Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta cheese is a vegetarian-friendly cheese that can be consumed by most vegetarians that eat dairy products.
The process to make ricotta cheese does not require any additional non-vegetarian animal products.
Why Wouldn’t Ricotta Cheese Be Vegetarian
Although, cheese seems like a vegetarian-friendly food it often is not due to containing animal-derived ingredients beyond dairy.
Cheese is often made by separating the curds and whey. The curds are pressed into hard cheese whereas the whey is used to make ricotta.
Does Ricotta Cheese Contain Rennet
Soft cheeses like ricotta, cream cheese, and cottage cheese do not contain rennet.
What Is Rennet
Rennet is a sneaky ingredient that is lurking in many kinds of cheese.
Rennet is an enzyme that is found inside the fourth stomach of young cows.
In many cases, the young cows are harmed or killed in order to obtain the rennet.
Why Is Rennet Used In Cheese Making
Rennet is used as a coagulant in cheese making, most often used in the making of hard cheeses.
Are Some Cheeses Made Without Using Rennet
Some cheeses do not require rennet or can use acids instead.
Is Rennet Always Derived From Animals
There are vegetarian-friendly rennet products that are not derived from animals.
The most common forms of rennet are vegetarian rennet from nettles and thistles as well as microbial rennet made from fungus and yeast.
What Animal Does Ricotta Cheese Come From
The ricotta cheese that is found on the shelves of our local grocery store is made from cows.
Ricotta cheese can also be made from sheep, goats, or water buffalo milk.
Vegetarian Ricotta Cheese Brands
- BelGioiso
- Frigo
- Galbani
- Sargento
- Good & Gather
- Stella
- Grande
- Aldi
Is Galbani Ricotta Cheese Vegetarian
Galbani Ricotta cheese is vegetarian friendly.
Is Ricotta Cheese Vegan
Ricotta cheese is made from dairy products making it not a vegan-friendly food.
Is Vegan Ricotta Cheese Dairy Free
Vegan ricotta cheese is not made with dairy products making it a dairy-free product.
Vegan Ricotta Cheese Brands
- Siete
- Mikyos
- Kite Hill
- Violife
- Daiya
Can You Make Your Own Vegan Ricotta Cheese
You can make your own vegan ricotta cheese made from nuts, nutritional yeast, and tofu.
Is Ricotta Cheese Plant Based
Those that follow a plant-based diet limit their consumption of meat, dairy, and processed foods.
Many still enjoy dairy and meat in moderation which includes ricotta cheese.
Final Thoughts
Ricotta cheese is a vegetarian-friendly cheese that you can include in your diet.
When looking for vegetarian cheeses always read the ingredient list included on the package and seek out the ingredient rennet.
If the rennet in the cheese is not derived from animals it will be clearly labeled.