When it comes to yeast, we’ve come to know it as a catalyst or rising agent for food – it’s the power behind fluffy, freshly baked bread, and one of the four key ingredients of beer brewing (so really, we have a lot to thank yeast for!) But have you ever considered its nutritional value?
More and more often, we’re stumbling across recipes starring one key ingredient: nutritional yeast; affectionately known as ‘nooch’ by the vegan community. This fascinating concept is a form of deactivated yeast – often a strain of unicellular fungus, Saccharomyces Cerevisae – and is available in powder, granule and flake forms. The dried nutritional yeast hugely differs from baking and beer yeasts. Unlike these active forms, nutritional yeast cannot ferment, but what it can offer is an intense flavour, akin to that of a strong cheese.