# Artisan Coconut Cheese Field Roast's 'Chao' Slices are a Vegan Cheese Alternative By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2016-01-12 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coconut-cheese References: [vegansupply](http://vegansupply.ca/collections/cheeses/products/field-roast-coconut-herb-chao-slices-200g) & [fieldroast](http://fieldroast.com/product/chao-slices/) When Field Roast's coconut cheese Chao Slices are created, European and Asian cultures collide. Traditions from a Greek cheese maker are combined with a Taiwanese family that makes Chao, a fermented tofu, in order to create a seasoned coconut-based cheese. Chai Slices come in flavors like Coconut Herb and Tomato Cayenne, providing flavorful alternatives to classic products derived from animal sources. While the coconut-based cheese slices can be added to hot or cold sandwiches, they can also be sliced and grated to add a bit more variety to a number of dishes. While there are now quite a few [dairy-free and vegan cheese products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dairyfree-cheeses) emerging, Chao Slices are unique in that they provide an alternative to traditional options made from a base of soy or cashews. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.8/10 - Popularity: 7% | Activity: 9% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Artisan Coconut Cheese:** The trend of artisan coconut cheese is disrupting the traditional dairy-free and vegan cheese market by offering a unique alternative made from coconut. - **European-asian Fusion:** The fusion of European and Asian cultures in the creation of Chao Slices presents opportunities for innovative cross-cultural collaborations in the food industry. - **Flavorful Vegan Alternatives:** The trend of flavorful vegan alternatives to traditional animal-based products is opening up new possibilities for plant-based food innovation. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Vegan Cheese Industry:** The vegan cheese industry is being challenged by the rise of artisan coconut cheese, creating opportunities for companies to diversify their product offerings. - **Plant-based Food Industry:** The plant-based food industry can benefit from the European-Asian fusion trend by exploring collaborations that combine different culinary traditions to create unique and innovative products. - **Dairy-free Food Market:** The dairy-free food market is witnessing disruptive innovation with the introduction of Chao Slices, which offer a distinct alternative to soy or cashew-based vegan cheese products. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Coconut Oil Cream Cheeses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vegan-cream-cheeses.md) - [Vegan Cheese Slices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/notcheese-american-style.md) - [Cheesy Dairy-Free Quesos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plantbased-queso.md) - [Mature Alt Cheeses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/violife-cheddarton.md) - [Olive Oil-Based Cheese Slices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olive-oil-cheese-slices.md) - [Melty Alt Cheeses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dairy-free-cheese-alternatives.md) - [Carrot-Based Cheese Slices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheese-from-carrots.md) - [Spice-Packed Alt Cheeses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dairyfree-cheeses.md) - [Vegan Feta-Style Cheeses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/greek-style-cubes.md)