The dairy people are just mad because everyone calls almond milk and coconut milk and such “milk” and- well, they’re getting their asses kicked watching sales nosedive.
And no vegan cheeses aren’t “cheese” but then again edamame hummus isn’t “hummus” and nobody’s freaking out over that
I’m lactose intolerant/all dairy hates me and have tried waaaayyy too many really bad totally horrible vegan cheeses.
But! there are finally some that are quite good. Dr Cow makes aged nut based cheeses that my omni friends have eaten off the cheeseboard before the nearby dairy cheeses. They’re expensive enough it’s a rare treat for me and i buy most often to bring to a friends gathering.
https://www.dr-cow.com
Miyokos makes great softer cheeses and cream cheese. (And their cultured butter is AMAZING)
Treeline and Kite Hill make good soft cheeses and ricotta. Chao is great for when you need something melty but not great to eat as is, same goes for Daiya. Homemade cashew cheeses , more like a soft spreadable cheese, can be really good- or grainy and gross.
Vegan cheeses are a very long way from being commonly available and even further away from developing the techniques to create the variety of flavors and textures that dairy cheeses have
