The Vegg vegan egg yolk. The Review

Few new vegan products are greeted with the enthusiasm that has embraced the arrival of The Vegg - the vegan egg yolk that looks and tastes like egg yolk. Non vegans are probably imagining the product is a cocktail of artificial flavours, colours and thickeners, but the remarkable thing is...it isn't. The Vegg is a really simple mix of yeshi (nutritional yeast), sodium alginate (a seaweed extract) and black salt (a sulfur-rich salt). This simple powder makes a versatile egg substitute for vegans.

Mixed Vegg yolk and unmixed Vegg powder

The powder is prepared by blending with water to make a liquid 'egg yolk' before being utilised in recipes. When we say blending, we mean with a blender. You can't mix this stuff by hand. It's best to use a stick blender in a cup, or a mini-blender. Once mixed you can store any unused yolk in the fridge, which is handy because you can't mix really small quantities, even with a mini-blender.

It's at the point of mixing that you'll suddenly realise just how eggy this stuff is. The pale yellow powder suddenly becomes a deep yellow yolk...with a pungent eggy smell. The eggy smell comes from the sulfur in the black salt. If you don't like the smell of eggs, you won't like this.

The best way to experience The Vegg is to use it as hot runny egg-yolk. Take a small amount of the blended Vegg yolk and warm it briefly in the microwave. We made runny Vegg yolk the centrepiece of our Vegan Olympic Breakfast pictured above. Serve the egg-yolk in a small dipping bowl for a really new vegan taste experience....this stuff transforms a 'fry up'.

The Vegg is a really versatile substitute for dishes where eggs would have traditionally been used. Other vegan egg-replacers are formulated for use in baking, and as such are mainly binders and leaveners. The Vegg has completely different uses and adds eggy colour, flavour and texture to dishes such as French Toast, pictured above. To make it yourself, simply make up a batch of Vegg yolk and add a little soya milk, salt and pepper. Dip slices of bread in the yolky mix and shallow-fry them in a little oil. Full recipe here. The Vegg is far more successful in French Toast than tofu-based recipes, giving the dish a really tasty egg flavour.

You can make very eggy pancakes with The Vegg, which we discovered in the process of trying to make an egg patty. The Vegg doesn't set when heated (more on that below) so you need to add a starch or a protein that does. We used qurd (soya yoghurt cheese) in the patty above. Details of that here.

Speaking of flavour, we developed a Baked Frittata recipe during the course of reviewing The Vegg that is like nothing else. If you've tried tofu-based frittatas you simply won't believe how much tastier it can be when made with The Vegg. It isn't a distinctive eggy taste in dishes like this, just a deep rounded satisfying flavour. We love it so much we're posting it here, with the following note: 

The Vegg doesn't set firm...at all. The alginate in the powder forms a gel when mixed, which keeps it runny whether you store it in the fridge, or fry it on the hob. It isn't like egg yolk in this respect, so you need to add other thickeners to help dishes set firm. Cornflour (cornstarch) will set firm, but needs a high heat to remove the flouryness. Arrowroot is more expensive but is far superior as it sets clearer, is smoother, and loses its floury taste at lower temperatures.

RECIPE: VEGAN BAKED FRITTATA

Vegetables:

400g peeled potatoes, cut in 2cm chunks (16oz, 1 inch)

200g onion, coarsely chopped (8oz)

100g green beans (4oz)

100g red or orange pepper (4oz)

4tbsp good olive oil

2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs: rosemary+thyme+chives

Eggy mix:

300g firm silken tofu (12oz)

250ml cold water (1 cup)

6 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornflour/cornstarch)

2 tbsp The Vegg powder

2 tbsp rapeseed oil (canola)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper

Mix the vegetables, herbs and olive oil in a 24cm square baking dish (9"). Roast in the oven at 180C (360F) for 30 mins. Blend the Vegg powder with the water (in a blender or use a stick blender) until smooth, then blend in the remaining ingredients. Pour the eggy mix over the roasted vegetables and bake at 180C (360F) for 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool a little, cut and serve.

The quantity of arrowroot given won't set the frittata very firmly...it will be slightly saucy. Add a little more if you want it to set.

We've found ourselves reviewing The Vegg for about 3 months now, and we've still got ideas for more experimentation. We haven't even tried spherification...the process of making a round vegan Vegg yolk using molecular gastronomy techniques. If you want to have a go at that, there are instructions on YouTube:

The enthusiasm that greeted the arrival of The Vegg is justified. Vegans have a brand new flavour, a new versatile ingredient. One more excuse for not being vegan has also been eroded..."I'd miss eggs too much"...

Verdict: Eggstraordinary

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Veganoo Score: ★★★★★
The Vegg vegan egg yolk

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Footnote: Ingredients

Here is the ingredients panel from the pack we reviewed.

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