A cheese substitute to imitate grated parmesan cheese comprises a protein or other bland edible particulate combined with a vegetable fat component and a salt along with flavouring to approximate the taste and smell of parmesan cheese. The preferred choice of protein or edible particulate source is a full fat pre-cooked soya flour. The vegetable fat chosen is one suitable to act as the binding as well as mixing matrix for the cheese substitute. Thus, a vegetable based fat such as partially or fully hydrogenated vegetable oil commonly known as "Vegetable Shortening" is used. Fine grain sodium chloride is preferred as the salt in order to allow ready and discrete combination with the other constituents of the cheese substitute.