Plant-based cheese may sound like some trendy food item in the minuscule vegan section of a grocery store, but non-dairy cheeses have existed for over one hundred years.

Today it seems there’s an ever-growing interest in plant-based diets, with people opting in (or at least subbing in non-meat options from time to time) for ethical, health, or environmental reasons. That means immense progress has been made in the world of vegan cheese—not only do you have near-endless possibilities, but your cashew ricotta and plant-based parmesan taste better than ever before.

Julie Piatt believes she’s actually cracked the code with vegan cheese. Julie grew up in Alaska and was raised on game meat, but when yoga came into her life, that kind of treatment of animals didn’t resonate with her anymore. The dairy industry is not a humane or pretty place for animals, and Julie believes that if more people knew what actually went into cheese production, they would make different food choices.