The quest to make genuinely cheesy dairy-free cheese

Golf is facing an existential crisis

In today's WIRED DAILY, we follow the quest to make genuinely cheesy dairy-free cheese and explain why golf faces an existential crisis. The quest to make genuinely cheesy dairy-free cheese The dairy-free cheese fridge at your local health food store could stand as a monument to the human capacity for both boundless creativity and self-deception. Roam its chilled confines and you might find ersatz cashew-nut camembert or blue-veined wedges of coconut-derived faux stilton. There may be pale logs of rice starch mozzarella, or chickpea flour formed into a ridged truckle of imitation parmesan. These products point to an ever-expanding galaxy of choices and a buoyant industry where, according to The Good Food Institute, sales grew by 18 per cent in the US in 2019 (compared with just one per cent growth for traditional animal-derived cheese). There is a revolution underway; an artisanal boom in plant-based fermentation far better than what was available even a decade ago. And forecasts predict the global vegan cheese market to almost triple in worth, to $7 billion (£5.1 billion), by 2030.   The only issue with this mountain of cleverly conceived products – which anyone who has bought, tasted or smelled them will confirm – is that, fundamentally, they are not cheese. Cut them with a knife and they generally smear rather than crumble. Eyeball them closely and they often betray the fact they are taupe nut or greyish pea protein patés. Go in for a sniff and you're likely to be hit with a pungent, confounding mix of coconut oil and the chemical backnote of masking aromas. And then there is the taste: an intense wash of salt, fat, thickening agents and pappy mouthfeel where the best you can hope for is neutral inoffensiveness and the worst-case-scenario is something acrid, actively unpleasant and somewhat haunting. You don't really forget your first bad vegan cheese experience. That was to be the case, to a career-changing degree, for Ryan Pandya. Read the full story on WIRED Today's headlines LG to continue updating phones What happened: After the South Korean manufacturer announced it would stop making phones, it wasn't clear how it would support users of its existing phones. Now, LG has said it will provide three more years of updates. Why it matters: As The Verge points out, the number of updates now promised is actually more than usual for LG. It may be that the company, freed from the responsibility of making new phones, has more time to improve old models. Test and trace to change What happened: When a group enters a venue like a pub, everyone will now have to sign in. Previously, only one person had to. Why it matters: The new test and trace rules will be linked to the government's promise to roll out enough tests for everyone. Alerts will now tell people to book PCR tests, regardless of whether they have symptoms. Williamson calls for mobile phone ban in schools What happened: The education secretary says that lockdown has affected children's "discipline and order", and he blames mobile phones. Williamson says they stop children from exercising and distract from "good old-fashioned play." Why it matters: Most schools already have rules limiting use of phones in lessons; many already have limits at break and lunch, too. According to the BBC, the issue is more the lack of clarity surrounding when a teacher is able to confiscate a phone. Golf is facing an existential crisis   "It's not a skill to hit the ball a long way. The skill in my opinion is to hit the ball straight. He is taking the skill out of it." New equipment and beefier players have created an era where tournaments belong to big hitters. Course designers are struggling to fight back Today's job picks Research associate Mosaic Apply now Payments associate Checkout Apply now Listen to the latest WIRED Podcast On the WIRED Podcast this week... 🏎️ Lewis Hamilton on the science of success   🤖 The future of artificial intelligence     Listen now Get the latest issue of WIRED Prefer a weekly digest? Subscribe to the WIRED Weekly Unsubscribe  |  View this email in your browser  Queries about this email? Contact datacontroller@condenast.co.uk Condé Nast Publications 1 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU © The Condé Nast Publications Ltd Our Privacy Policy