Nutritional Yeast

Bulk Nutritional Yeast Flakes, also known as "Nootch,"

An absolute favorite in our community, nutritional yeast is a versatile 'superfood' that can be used as a topping for pretty much anything or as a core ingredient in many dishes (especially when it comes to vegan and healthy cooking).

Nutritional yeast has a cheesy and nutty flavor combination, making it ideal to use when making plant-based cheese sauces and dishes. A great cheese alternative for those wanting to live a more healthy lifestyle yet still enjoy the yummy cheese flavor in their favorite foods.

So what is nutritional yeast?

Nutritional yeast is a food additive made from a single-celled organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is grown on molasses (or sometimes other things like corn) and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to kill or "deactivate" it. Because it’s inactive, it doesn’t froth or grow like baking yeast does, so it has no leavening ability. Don’t worry; no animals are harmed in this process because yeasts are members of the fungi family, like mushrooms, and not animals.

Nutritional yeast is not the same as brewer’s yeast, which is a product of the beer-making process and is very bitter. It’s also not Torula yeast, which is grown on paper mill waste and is also not very tasty. And please do not try to substitute active dry yeast or baking yeast, which taste bad and will probably make a huge, frothy mess because their yeasts are alive.

Why use it?

As you can guess from its name, nutritional yeast is packed with nutrition, particularly B vitamins, folic acid, selenium, zinc, and protein. It’s low in fat, gluten-free, and contains no added sugars or preservatives.
The vitamins and minerals are all well and good, but truthfully, most people use nutritional yeast for its flavor.

How does nutritional yeast taste?

Nutritional yeast has a flavor that has been described as cheesy, nutty, savory, and "umami." Just a tablespoon or two can add richness to soups, gravies, and other dishes, and larger amounts can make "cheese" sauces and eggless scrambles taste cheesy and eggy.

Adding a small amount of nutritional yeast to a dish enhances the flavors present and helps form a rich flavor base.

How Do You Use Nutritional Yeast?

If you’re new to nutritional yeast, it’s better to try it a little at a time rather than dive right into a recipe that uses a lot of it. Try some of the suggestions below, using just a little until you develop a taste for them:

• Sprinkle it on popcorn.
• Stir it into mashed potatoes.
• Add a little to the cooking water for "cheesy grits" or polenta.
• Sprinkle on any pasta dish.
• Make almond "parmesan" by blending nutritional yeast with raw almonds in a food processor.
• Add a tablespoon or two to bean dishes to enhance flavors.

Cheese sauce ideas:

Use a base such as potatoes, carrots, humus (from chickpeas, eggplant, or something else), or simply cashews (soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes or soaked overnight). Then add olive oil and nutritional yeast (a generous amount, probably at least 30 to 50 grams) and blend in a blender. Adding other spices such as cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, etc. is also a great addition to give it a bit more zing.