I consider myself an everything bagel connoisseur. I was raised on them in St. Louis and enjoyed the wide range of NYC bagels. And here in Ashland there is the Little Shop of Bagels, which serves Cultured Kitchen vegan cream cheese.
But I often get bagels to go and like to try to the ever-expanding selection of cream cheeses out there. I’m on a quest to find the perfect cream cheese.
This morning I tried the Leaf Cuisine Classic Plain NOT Cream Cheese Spread. Based out of Santa Monica, this company does a great job of keeping the ingredients list simple — as in the following: Cashews, chia seeds, organic coconut oil, lemon, sea salt, natural flavors.
But I’m sad to say it’s not for me. I found the taste to be too sweet — a bit too heavy on the coconut oil. But that’s not a failing of the cheese — just the taster.
On a positive note, this is the first cream cheese I’ve had that includes chia seeds — and they do add a very nice grainy texture.
And, as you can see, I prefer my bagels slightly scorched.
So my search for the perfect cream cheese continues.
Stay tuned — we have something new from Miyoko’s on its way…