Nutritional yeast is available powdered and in larger flakes, which resemble yellow fish food. Its most popular use is as a topping for popcorn. It is considered a source of valuable B vitamins (especially vitamin B12) for vegans, but there is controversy as to whether any brand of nutritional yeast other than Red Star T-6635 (which is fortified) actually has significant quantities of B12 in it.

Nutritional yeast is a great cooking ingredient for vegetarians. It can be used to emulate cheese and meat flavors in your recipes.

Straight nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheezy flavor. I do lots of things with it:

• Dredge tofu through it and then pan fry it.
• Add it to a vegetarian gravy.
• Use it to make a "cheese" sauce.
• Add to TVP to give it more body.
• Sprinkle it on things like you would grated cheese.

Mind you, I eat real cheese, so I only do this when I'm not into the fat of cheese (I won't eat that plastic, fat-free cheese crap.)