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Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

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Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#51

Post by ohitsdom »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #20

I would definitely like to try the products (another reason to make a trip back to Colorado). Lots of questions long term though. Is this the "Ethanol of Meat" ? Where the total cost/impact of producing the good overwhelms the benefits? Ground chuck roast is $7/lb and currently this stuff is more expensive than that. Can it be less expensive than that? Way less expensive? The fundamental question is does this move us…

I think this could increase the kilowatt/person ratio and still be a net win for our climate. Eating less meat as a society reduces our reliance on animals, which as husbandry reduces so does the methane output. Methane is a significant contributor to climate change, although it dissipates relatively quickly so is much easier to recover from than CO2.

So to me, reducing methane is more important than reducing total energy used (as long as we're using renewable resources for energy). If we're burning coal to produce eco-friendly plant burgers, then forget it.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#52

Post by andrewfong »

I've had the good fortune to try an Impossible Foods burger. It really does taste like meat. I'm not sure I would say it's indistinguishable from a beef burger. But I would definitely have a hard time telling it apart from a ground turkey burger. Or an ostrich burger from Fuddruckers.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#53

Post by NickM »

sevenless wrote: post #42
ergothus wrote: post #26

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

One potential problem: the heme that they're claiming gives it flavor comes from a genetically modified yeast. It's a GMO, and people who're vegan on principle often don't like that.

> It's a GMO, and people who're vegan on principle often don't like that.

That's okay! They're already vegan, so clearly they've already found a way to eat a meat-free diet that works for them.

Carnivores are a much bigger market to chase than vegans. These new meat substitutes are targeted at converting more carnivores, not making existing vegans happier.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#54

Post by Crazywater »

homero wrote: post #50
ergothus wrote: post #26

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

There's a good fungus based chicken nugget, do you know this one?

Quorn? It's pretty close to chicken. But then again, chicken is also relatively easy to emulate since it doesn't have a lot of flavor or texture.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#55

Post by jonknee »

sevenless wrote: post #42
ergothus wrote: post #26

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

One potential problem: the heme that they're claiming gives it flavor comes from a genetically modified yeast. It's a GMO, and people who're vegan on principle often don't like that.

> It's a GMO, and people who're vegan on principle often don't like that.

I don't think they care about people who are vegan on principle. They want to sell to meat eaters.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#56

Post by SilasX »

serg_chernata wrote: post #11
buckbova wrote: post #4

> "When I tried a mini burger slathered in vegan mayo, mashed avocado, caramelized onions and Dijon prepared by San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardin at the company's headquarters in Redwood City, I was floored." Honestly a good chef can make cardboard taste good. But as a daily meat eater I'd love a good ground beef alternative.

Yeah that almost sounds like they drowned a nugget of meat in sauce. Could he even taste the meat? Why not an actual plain, grilled meat test?

Yes, reminds me of discussions of whether I "like" alcohol:

"You don't like alcohol? Even when we dilute the heck out of it by mixing it with lots of sugar and fruit flavors? Crazy! I definitely like alcohol, although only Smirnov Ice and cosmos, for some inexplicable reason..."

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#57

Post by frakkingcylons »

dangerlibrary wrote: post #40
ergothus wrote: post #26

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

Beyond Meat's ground beef and chicken strips are the closest I've had to "I had no idea" meat alternatives, but even though the flavor is pretty much spot-on, the texture is always just a little bit wrong. It's a very tricky problem, and I'm inclined to say that it's a better idea to sell things as "not meat, but delicious in their own right" instead. See, for example, Chipotle's sofritas - which are the most heavily…

Beyond Meat's ground beef really surprised me by how close it was to ground beef (texture and appearance are great, flavor needs work). The chicken strips somewhat less so, but still enjoyed it.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#58

Post by saynsedit »

sevenless wrote: post #42
ergothus wrote: post #26

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

One potential problem: the heme that they're claiming gives it flavor comes from a genetically modified yeast. It's a GMO, and people who're vegan on principle often don't like that.

What does being "vegan on principle" mean here? What specific principles are you talking about?

Some vegans do it because killing animals is morally bankrupt.

Some vegans do it because raising livestock is unsustainable. There is not enough land on earth for everyone to have a meat diet.

Some vegans do it because it's healthier. In general you can expect to ingest less toxins by eating lower on the food chain.

I'm not sure what vegan principles are violated by GMOs. I don't know of anyone who is actually against GMOs, the debate is around labeling them not banning them.

Personally I don't understand why someone wouldn't want to eat pesticide/herbicide drenched food. It's how we're going to feed the third world.

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#59

Post by jonknee »

blacksmith_tb wrote: post #36
ChuckMcM wrote: post #20

I would definitely like to try the products (another reason to make a trip back to Colorado). Lots of questions long term though. Is this the "Ethanol of Meat" ? Where the total cost/impact of producing the good overwhelms the benefits? Ground chuck roast is $7/lb and currently this stuff is more expensive than that. Can it be less expensive than that? Way less expensive? The fundamental question is does this move us…

Ground chuck roast is heavily subsidized; it would be surprising if any fake meat product could actually rival the energy and water costs needed to raise and process beef. So one solution would be to price both more fairly, in which case lots of consumers might be happier to choose the vegan option.

How exactly is ground chuck roast heavily subsidized? Is it any different than the subsidies for agriculture that make up meat alternatives?

Re: Bloody Plant Burger Smells, Tastes and Sizzles Like Meat

#60

Post by ergothus »

wavefunction wrote: post #35
ergothus wrote: post #26

I've been a vegetarian for the last decade and change, and I simultaneously think that finding a cheaper, appealing alternative to meat is both a fantastic opportunity for the world and a really difficult thing. I used to love meat when I was a meat-eater, and I'm a fairly picky eater that dislikes many vegetable options. (Green peppers are nasty and food-destroying in my opinion, which immediately removes over half…

When I visit India and eat vegetarian food properly prepared by a culture that has refined vegetarian cuisine beyond "fake meat", I don't miss meat at all. Much of Western food is only expected to be an accompaniment to a meat dish, which is why you can't just cut meat out and eat the vegetable dishes you're used to when you're eating meat as well, imnsho.

I'm a huge fan of Indian food. (Because it's tasty, AND because they are one of the few foreign countries that uses the same definition of "vegetarian" that I do).

That said, I actually have a fairly limited range there too: if you don't like yogurt, dill, bell peppers, cucumbers, or okra, a lot gets cut out. That's on me an my tastes, not the Indian food, but it's still a reality I have to deal with.

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