Parmesan substitutes

1:1

Keeps the umami, flavour, fat and texture roles.

Made the same way and aged a little less, so it is milder and slightly less crystalline. Like Parmigiano-Reggiano it uses animal rennet.

Use about 3/4 the amount

Keeps the umami, flavour, fat and texture roles.

Sheep's milk, so it is sharper and considerably saltier. Scale it back and cut salt elsewhere in the dish. Made with animal rennet.

1:1

Keeps the umami, flavour, fat and texture roles.

Made with microbial rennet specifically so vegetarians can eat it. Very close on flavour and melting behaviour, though usually aged a little less.

1:1

Keeps the umami, flavour, fat and texture roles.

Grates and melts similarly with a nuttier, slightly sweeter flavour. Young fresh Asiago is far too soft and will not work at all.

1:1

Keeps the umami, flavour, fat and texture roles.

Comparable saltiness and it grates firmly, but the sheep's milk flavour is distinctly different and it melts less evenly into a sauce.

Blitz 1 cup cashews with 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garlic powder; use 1:1

Keeps the umami, flavour, fat and texture roles.

Good on pasta and roasted vegetables, with real fat and a similar crumbly look, but it does not melt at all, so it is useless in a sauce. Not nut-free.

Use about half, then taste

Keeps the umami and flavour roles; loses fat and texture.

Genuinely savoury and cheese-like, but it is a dry flake, so it contributes no fat and no melt. It will not brown on a bake or give a sauce any body.