Vietnam's Plant-Based Cheese Kashew
is Melty, Delicious and 100% Natural
Crafted without additives and with artisanal care, this cheese proves plant-based indulgence can be both sustainable and delicious.
21 November 2025
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Kashew was founded out of a desire to elevate plant-based foods in Vietnam | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Kashew was founded out of a desire to elevate plant-based foods in Vietnam | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, locally sourced organic cashews are being fermented, flavoured and aged in a quiet food revolution reshaping Vietnam’s plant-based scene.
Kashew Cheese Deli | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Kashew Cheese Deli | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Founded in 2015 by Lê Na, a former finance student, Kashew was born from a desire to elevate plant-based foods beyond compromise. After adopting a vegan lifestyle and noticing a lack of quality vegan products in Vietnam, Lê Na delved into European cheesemaking traditions, reimagining the process through a plant-based perspective. The result is an artisanal brand that celebrates Vietnam’s natural bounty, from its abundant cashews to the patient art of fermentation and ageing.
Ten years on, and Kashew is an innovator in Vietnam’s plant-based scene, offering handcrafted cheeses infused with Vietnamese garlic, herbs, black ash, smoked hickory, chili, turmeric, and cumin, each made in small batches with care and craftsmanship. The brand also features a range of dairy-free products, including milks, yoghurts, butters, ricotta, mozzarella, and spreadable cheese, demonstrating that vegan and dairy-free options can be just as indulgent.
At Kashew Cheese Deli in Thảo Điền and District 7, the brand’s philosophy comes to life. Serving up plant-based sourdough sandwiches, dips, salads, pizzas, and cheese boards, the delis have become community hubs and gathering spaces where diners can explore how plant-based ingredients can be transformed into nourishing, satisfying food.
Kashew Cheese Deli | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Kashew Cheese Deli | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
“Our customers care about flavour, health, and craftsmanship. They want clean ingredients and food that feels good in the body. They pay attention to what they eat and appreciate natural, well-made products. It is not a mass-market audience. It is a growing community of people who value quality and authenticity. Their support and curiosity have shaped who we are today,” says Lê Na.
From the Ground Up
Expect handcrafted cheeses infused with Vietnamese garlic, herbs, black ash, smoked hickory, chili, turmeric, and cumin | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Expect handcrafted cheeses infused with Vietnamese garlic, herbs, black ash, smoked hickory, chili, turmeric, and cumin | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Every good food story begins with soil. Cashews are a local ingredient, central to Vietnam’s agricultural landscape, and this proximity shaped the company’s early vision. The founders were driven by a simple question: If the soil is alive, could it create food that is more nourishing?
That curiosity led them to organic mixed polycropping* farms in Ninh Thuận — one of the few regions in Vietnam where the land remains clean and untouched by pesticides and chemicals. Only a small percentage of Vietnam’s cashews are certified organic, and Kashew works directly with these growers.
The soil is nutrient-rich, well-balanced, and nourished by natural rainfall, which produces healthy plants, which in turn yield rich, creamy cashews that form the base of Kashew’s cheeses. Kashew also works closely with local vegetable and herb farms, reducing the carbon footprint of long-distance transport while supporting Vietnam’s agricultural communities for ingredients that can’t be sourced locally, such as olive oil. Kashew partners only with producers who meet strict sustainability and quality standards.
Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
For Kashew, sustainability isn’t an afterthought; it’s sought with intent. Going a step further, products are packed in recyclable non-toxic glassware, paper bags and biodegradable cassava starch films, with plastic use kept to a minimum. Ingredient surplus is transformed into sauces, chutneys, croutons or compost, while excess curds find new life as fresh cheeses and spreads. Every choice, from sourcing to packaging, feeds into a circular, low-waste ecosystem that reflects deep respect for every ingredient.
But sustainability isn’t only about how food is made and wrapped. Plant-based food production requires less water, land and energy, while emitting less greenhouse gases than animal products. With a focus on plant-based ingredients, Kashew contributes to a growing, more eco-conscious food culture, shaping the way people think about their food and how it is produced.
The product line has grown to offer plant-based butters, milks, yoghurts and more | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
The product line has grown to offer plant-based butters, milks, yoghurts and more | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
The Alchemy of Kashew Cheese
Kashew takes a different approach to its cheese-making process. “We minimise the number of ingredients and maximise technique. Fermentation, craft, and time bring out the full potential of the cashew. When done properly, you can really taste the joy of nature in the final product. Our cheeses are clean, flavourful, and made to make people feel good after they eat. There are no complicated ingredients and nothing artificial. We let the food speak for itself.”
They combine old-world techniques with plant-based innovation in Kashew’s aged cheeses. Nutrient-rich organic Vietnamese cashews are soaked, blended, and inoculated with live cultures of bacteria and yeast — the same strains that give Brie or Camembert their signature depth. As fermentation progresses, the mixture develops tang, umami, and complexity while preserving the cashews’ natural nutrients. Fermentation further improves digestibility by adding probiotic cultures, making each cheese more gut-friendly and supportive of digestive health. The base is then infused with herbs, spices, and natural ingredients — ranging from Vietnamese garlic and rosemary to Phú Quốc pepper and organic activated charcoal. Priding themselves on seasoning only — with roasted or fermented vegetables, sea salt, and fresh herbs — Kashew cheese never uses MSG or refined sugars. This sets Kashew apart from other industrial vegan cheeses on the market, which often rely on starches, palm oils, stabilisers, and additives. After being shaped into wheels, the cheese is aged for 21 days in a temperature-controlled environment.
Cafe offerings crafted with Kashew Mozzarella and Kashew Pesto | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Cafe offerings crafted with Kashew Mozzarella and Kashew Pesto | Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
“The biggest challenge in Vietnam is the climate. Fermentation needs stable temperature and humidity, so we built a small lab that lets us control the environment and help the cheese develop properly.” During this slow maturation, proteins and fats break down, giving rise to the unmistakable creaminess and sharp, savoury intensity of good cheese.
Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
A Movement, Not Just a Brand
What began as a quiet kitchen experiment has evolved into a movement that celebrates craftsmanship, community and conscious consumption. Today, Kashew’s cheeses can be found not only in their delis but also on the shelves of retailers like Annam Gourmet and in the kitchens of restaurants and hotels across Vietnam — a testament to how far
a small, plant-based idea can go.
With plans to expand distribution, improve its delis further, and enter international markets, Kashew Cheese exemplifies what is achievable when craft and conscientious food production unite.
Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
Photo Credit: Kashew Cheese
“Kashew was born in Vietnam, but the vision is global. We are exploring international collaborations in Europe,
the United States and across Asia. There is a strong interest in fermented, plant-based, artisanal foods in many parts of the world. Across Asia, the opportunity is huge, since most people are naturally lactose intolerant and plant-based cheese offers both taste and comfort. Our goal is to share this way of eating, built from Vietnamese ingredients and craftsmanship, with more people around the world,” says Lê Na.
At its heart, Kashew isn’t just about making vegan cheese. It’s about making food that matters — to the body, to the soil and to the world.
*Polycropping is an agricultural practice that involves growing multiple crops in the same space to enhance biodiversity and improve soil health. [Source]
Author: Natasha Beh Comerford
With over 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry specialising in restaurant public relations, marketing and content creation, Natasha Beh Comerford eats and breathes all things culinary. When she’s not discovering Singapore’s hidden gems, you’ll find her experimenting at her stove or kicking back with a good recipe book or two.