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There is nothing like a good Parmesan cheese. It cannot be replicated exactly, right? Right. That’s still true. However, if you want to add some “cheesy” flavor to your salad, we have that. Want something earthy and salty with umami flavor and a texture that adds depth to your dish? We have that. Want something with only a few ingredients that is easy to blitz into finish in the food processor? We have that for you too. Let’s get started. A fatty nut or seed can offer some of the richness of cheese, so we started with testing sunflower seeds and walnuts as our Parmesan base. We found that sunflower seeds, because they are lower in fat than other nuts, yielded a granular texture. The walnuts with a higher fat content melted in the mouth, more like Parmesan does. We preferred the walnuts, but you can decide whether flavor or texture is more important to you.The umami—the intense savory flavor—in miso and nutritional yeast give this crumble its depth of flavor. Does this melt? Yes, it melts in your mouth easily. Does it melt on a dish or in the oven? Nope. It is not cheese. It will not melt into a sauce and thicken. It will caramelize and crisp. This is a flavor thing. However, if you think about anywhere you would sprinkle on powdered Parmesan—on salads, on top of pasta dishes, or as a filling in pasta dishes—this is going to be a staple in your home. Now you can feed your plant-based family and friends well.