"The Vegg" Vegan Egg Yolk Review

You've probably heard of the Vegg (pronounced like "egg" but with a 'V') even if you aren't a vegan blogger or egg-replacement aficionado. The purpose of the Vegg is to replace the actual egg yolk instead of the whole egg and not only imports the slightly eggy flavor into whatever you like - it also has a beautifully golden color like an egg yolk. The flavor is very slight, at least to my tastes when I used it in my vegan omellete but I could smell it a bit better in my yellow cake recipe.

I thoroughly enjoy the packaging and the way the whole thing sent to me was in a beautiful brown envelope, containing the big Vegg packet and information cards. The mascot on it is adorable and its very easy to tell what type of product this is!

The Positive: It only takes a very small amount of the Vegg to make the equivalent of two and a half egg yolks (about a teaspoon) and the package can make up to 40 average "yolks". All of the ingredients are common and pretty well known - two components are added for color, the nutritional yeast (which is also added for taste, I presume) and beta carotene for a more golden color.

Plus, every 2-3 yolks are only about 10 calories and the product is free of (high) allergens! Can't say that much.


The Negative: It can be a bit pricey, depending on the shipping cost and the location that you're buying it from. You also have to be sure to have a blender because it will not turn out right if you try to hand-mix it, as demonstrated on the package.

I've found that I've also need to add cornstarch to the water and Vegg so it can be a bit more silkier and stronger for all of my needs.

Image from "Meshell in the City" http://meshell.ca/

The Interesting: The Vegg contains "sodium alginate" and if you're familiar with molecular gastronomy or just enjoying seeing spherical shapes on your dinner plate at a fancy restaurant, you'll be happy to see that this very ingredient aids in gellifying your yolks and if you place it in a calcium lactate bath - you'll have a gelatinous, ooey gooey and good for the Earth egg yolk! Just pop into your favorite molds (maybe a Hello Kitty one?), freeze and make your calcium lactate bath, then you can dip bread into it or meld with some delicious tofu egg whites for an amazing fried egg.

For flavor and the signature egg taste (brought on by sulfuric compounds) - an Indian black salt is used. Isn't that neat?

Here above you can see a picture of a spherical Vegg yolk! Isn't that exciting?


Average Price: $7.00

Price I Paid: Free for a review.
Despite it not having the huge strengths in taste and smell you would expect from an egg yolk, its a huge step and I would most definitely buy this product again and suggest it to all of my friends. Plus, its especially helpful when making such moist yellow cake!

Here's a link to where you can buy "The Vegg" but there are plenty of retailers around!


http://shinsveganloving.blogspot.com/2013/01/vegan-yellow-cake-recipe-soy-free.html 

Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0085V3YFO/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Product Review: 8th Continent Soymilk Original & Vanilla (With Recipe)

Photos courtesy of www.8thcontinent.com/

I'm used to other soymilks but decided to try this one about a year ago when there were no other options at the store. I felt that the packaging was very friendly and looked as if a very happy child had drawn the cover - otherwise it was simple white packaging. It also states the common notice that soy protein may have the ability to lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and has a common top to open the package through. In front it states that it is both lactose and gluten-free, so if you've ever had to worry about either in your soymilks then this may be a better choice for you.

The first of the two soymilks that I had tried was "8th Continent Soymilk Original" and when smelling the container it smelled more so like Silly Putty or Playdoh had been rolled through it and there was a bit carried over. I was a bit hesitant with the initial smell-test, but I poured it into a glass and found that there was still a hint of that taste, although very faint. It was not a very invigorating or inviting taste but I found that it was "milky" afterwards, making it somewhat better. The mouth feel of it, however, felt as if someone had just combined a powder with water and it didn't completely mix because on the top it was very smooth and nice but in the middle it got a bit watery and then proceeded onto chalky.

When combined with vinegar (or any other acids) I found that it curdled immediately, which is a good sign for whenever you're baking or using vegan buttermilk. It did not remix with any of the liquid at floated around on the top, which made it look quite gross although it is what is mostly expected from curdled soymilk. Although other soymilks work similarly when curdled, the texture and mouth feel of this soymilk made it so that it was a bit slick. Taking a look at the ingredients list, it looks like there may be an answer as to why it feels a bit oily and powdery - Soybean Oil and Soy Protein are separate on the ingredients list, while normally I would assume that they're simply doing this as soybeans do contain their own oils but that seemed to be an odd thing to place on such a list. Essentially, from as far as I can tell, they're mixing two different components from the same plant with water and you're receiving something that tastes a bit like baby formula and reacts like it too. 

8th Continent Soymilk in Vanilla has the same reaction and base flavor although the vanilla makes it a bit easier to drink it also seems to heighten the scent of it. When it comes to baking, both react\ quite well with whatever you're using and you only really taste 1% of it, while providing some good flavor and moisture. Infact, I've used it for my (extremely) simple pancake recipes below - you be the judge.

8th Continent Pancake Recipe:

1 cup of Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup of All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp of Baking Powder

1/4 tsp of Baking Soda

2 & 1/2 tsp Stevia

1 tsp Raw Sugar

1/2 cup of 8th Continent Buttermilk

Water to thin

Combine your dry, then fold in your wet about 10 times, then let the mixture rest, scoop out in 1/4 cups and cook on low-heat with a low-fat spray. This recipe makes about four pancakes so it is equal to two general servings.

[                   (Cal)  (Carbs) (Fat) (Prot.)

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Total:	556	98	4	28
Per Serving:	258	49	2	14]

So, here are my ratings for this edible product.

Packaging: 3/5

Taste: 2/5

Smell: 1/5

Mouth Feel: 1/5

Curdling: 4/5

Baking: 3/5

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Now, every soy milk is different, so my first reaction may not be the reaction of yours and I do still buy this soy milk when absolutely necessary and have become used to the taste, but it would most definitely would not be my first choice or suggestion for you.

To enjoy or not to enjoy, that is the question!