# Do you think names like "vegan sausage" are confusing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 29, 2016, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834 "2016-12-29T07:38:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/21 "2016-12-29T14:19:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > OTOH, I see this in the article “Schmidt has already contacted the European Union’s executive branch to discuss extending rules that govern the use of the terms “milk” and “cheese” to apply to meat as well” > Have they banned terms like soy milk and almond milk? I was in the supermarket this morning and there were both _leche de soja_ and _leche de almendras_ available, along with _leche de arroz_ and _horchata de chufa_. They’re generally stored with the “vegetable juice type things” rather than over with the milk, but that’s a matter of custom. Carrefour has them in the milk alley, in a subsection that’s clearly labeled “vegetable milks” (not so clearly limited, at least in my local Carrefour). To me it’s perfectly clear. Now if we can get people to actually follow the rules about clear labeling of known allergens, and those other rules about minimum lettering on labels, and… it sure isn’t as if we don’t have enough labeling rules, I’d much rather make sure those are correctly followed than worry about whether hot dogs can be called meat 😛 ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/22 "2016-12-29T14:22:21Z")
Other things that have confusing labels that should be changed Fat-free sour cream (cream is fat) Soy milk (you can’t get milk out of a bean only a mammal) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/23 "2016-12-29T14:56:54Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It’s interesting, because to me, ‘sausage’ is the shape, not so much the content - ‘a sausage’ is a cylindrical presentation of something - usually meat-based, but ‘vegetarian sausage’ is just an obvious description of something sausage-shaped. but not meat-based. I guess I should qualify this by saying I come from a land where I have seen sausages containing as little as 20% meat (the cheapest examples I can find today are about 30%) - so for me, the bar to calling something a ‘sausage’ was never set all that high at the outset. The [sausages](http://discworld.wikia.com/wiki/Sausage-in-a-bun) in Terry Pratchett’s \*Discworld \*series (sold by C.M.O.T Dibbler) are a parody of real life, but not quite so extreme a parody as some might imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/24 "2016-12-29T14:58:05Z")
Look, if you want to be a vegan, go for it. But stop trying to create vegan versions of non-vegan foods. If you don’t want to drink cow milk, fine, but don’t create all sorts of nut or soy milks. Likewise don’t make phony hamburgers or sausage. Those are meat products. Be creative, some up with vegan stuff that isn’t a pale imitation of tasty meat. Because I for one just think that you miss the omnivore lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/25 "2016-12-29T15:05:00Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Other things that have confusing labels that should be changed > Fat-free sour cream (cream is fat) > Soy milk (you can’t get milk out of a bean only a mammal) Lemon curd Jelly beans Marshmallows Tiger bread Tiger nuts Birds Custard Birds eye chilli peppers BirdsEye Fish Fingers Mr Brains Faggots All of these things need renaming, right now. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/26 "2016-12-29T15:08:46Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Look, if you want to be a vegan, go for it. > > But stop trying to create vegan versions of non-vegan foods. If you don’t want to drink cow milk, fine, but don’t create all sorts of nut or soy milks. Likewise don’t make phony hamburgers or sausage. Those are meat products. Be creative, some up with vegan stuff that isn’t a pale imitation of tasty meat. > > Because I for one just think that you miss the omnivore lifestyle. Most vegetarians I know do actually do that - the ‘alike’ products exist primarily for the context where a direct substitute is the easiest thing for non-veggie hosts to offer to veggie guests. Also, I think the primary market for the soy/nut milks is actually people who have problems with lactose. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/27 "2016-12-29T15:15:26Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Lemon curd > Jelly beans > Marshmallows > Tiger bread > Tiger nuts > Birds Custard > Birds eye chilli peppers > BirdsEye Fish Fingers > Mr Brains Faggots > > All of these things need renaming, right now. You missed [Tiger’s Milk](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIIax-xNalg/VcaCWYwtrlI/AAAAAAAAEiw/Nb1vTDwu6x0/s1600/Tiger%2527s%2BMilk%2BNutrition%2BBooster%2B1963%2B%2524149.99%2B-%2BCopy.JPG) [Food of the Seventies](http://www.inthe70s.com/food/tigersmilkpowderdrink0.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/28 "2016-12-29T16:15:13Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Look, if you want to be a vegan, go for it. > > But stop trying to create vegan versions of non-vegan foods. If you don’t want to drink cow milk, fine, but don’t create all sorts of nut or soy milks. Likewise don’t make phony hamburgers or sausage. Those are meat products. Be creative, some up with vegan stuff that isn’t a pale imitation of tasty meat. > > Because I for one just think that you miss the omnivore lifestyle. If there wasn’t $$ in it, people wouldn’t do it. Apparently, there is. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/29 "2016-12-29T16:19:17Z")
There is nothing confusing about vegan sausages. It’s a bit disgusting, grinding up vegans into sausages, but not confusing. I mean, they won’t make good sausages, will they? Not enough fat. Probably tastes like those gross turkey brats things they sell at whole foods. Shaped like a brat, but filled with apples and pomegranates and crap. You want to grind up people into sausages, I would do mid-westerners. I bet they would be juicy and tasty and won’t taste like tofu at all… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/30 "2016-12-29T16:27:23Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Have they banned terms like soy milk and almond milk? There is some concern that some (ignorant/uninformed) people seem to think soy milk is nutritionally similar to cow’s milk regarding things like calcium and vitamin D, which it is not. Probably also for almond milk but the term “almond milk” is hundreds of years old at this point and I’m not sure what else you would call it. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/31 "2016-12-29T17:20:23Z")
**Snowboarder Bo** , you’ll get a kick out of this. I was researching “vegetarian clean eating for weight lifting” and found a website with sample meals. Started reading some and realized they included beef. I was like “wtf?” then saw the disclaimer “make sure the cow was vegetarian”. Hahahahaha. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/32 "2016-12-29T17:27:01Z")
Vegan sausage isn’t odd. [This](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7b/55/60/7b556065cac3c0be2a272a8ce6e816c5.jpg) is odd. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/33 "2016-12-29T18:01:46Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > **Snowboarder Bo** , you’ll get a kick out of this. I was researching “vegetarian clean eating for weight lifting” and found a website with sample meals. Started reading some and realized they included beef. I was like “wtf?” then saw the disclaimer “make sure the cow was vegetarian”. Hahahahaha. Meh. Reminds me of people who tell me “love plants, don’t eat them” as the bite into a cheeseburger. > [@Chefguy](#): > > Vegan sausage isn’t odd. [This](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7b/55/60/7b556065cac3c0be2a272a8ce6e816c5.jpg) is odd. Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there now THAT is funny. I’m always amused at the number of things that (marketing) people think need to be labeled “gluten free”, but then I remember how much most people know about anything and I realize that that means that many, many people have no idea what gluten actually is. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/34 "2016-12-29T18:10:15Z")
IMHO, “vegan sausage” is not confusing because “sausage” does not indicate a specific type of meat. However, [Vegan Whole Turkey](http://vegetarian-plus.com/product/all-natural-vegan-whole-turkey/) is confusing, as the phrase is an oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/35 "2016-12-29T18:31:27Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > IMHO, “vegan sausage” is not confusing because “sausage” does not indicate a specific type of meat. > > However, [Vegan Whole Turkey](http://vegetarian-plus.com/product/all-natural-vegan-whole-turkey/) is confusing, as the phrase is an oxymoron. Do you find the phrase “vegan chicken curry” similarly confusing? (I used it in the OP.) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/36 "2016-12-29T18:57:48Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > IHowever, [Vegan Whole Turkey](http://vegetarian-plus.com/product/all-natural-vegan-whole-turkey/) is confusing, as the phrase is an oxymoron. :eek: That product takes “meat analog” too far. It’s understandable that someone might like the taste and mouth-feel of roasted turkey, but are there buyers out there who actually value the emotional experience of seeing the roasted carcass of a dead bird on their dinner table? :dubious: Does it have imitation bones and cartilage embedded in it, too? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/37 "2016-12-29T19:26:35Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Do you find the phrase “vegan chicken curry” similarly confusing? (I used it in the OP.) I don’t find “vegan chicken curry” confusing , but I do find it strange to call a dish that can be made of various meats "vegan chicken curry " or “vegan beef sausage” or “vegan veal meatballs”. Is there a difference between vegan chicken curry and vegan beef curry? Or vegan pork sausage and vegan turkey sausage? ``` I don't find the vegan whole turkey *confusing* either, although the concept seems a little silly to me. Mostly because I don't think people actually value seeing a roasted carcass on the table but also because I don't think you could convince anyone it's real turkey. On the other hand, once the spices are added to the sausage or the toppings are added to the burger, I think a fair amount of people could not reliably tell whether the "sausage" or "burger" was made of beef, pork , chicken or vegetable protein. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/38 "2016-12-29T20:05:52Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I don’t find “vegan chicken curry” confusing , but I do find it strange to call a dish that can be made of various meats "vegan chicken curry " or “vegan beef sausage” or “vegan veal meatballs”. Is there a difference between vegan chicken curry and vegan beef curry? Or vegan pork sausage and vegan turkey sausage? Sure there is - imitation meat products can be styled to try to resemble one kid of meat or another - for example: Quorn [Chicken Style](http://www.quorn.co.uk/food/cook-from-scratch/chef-selection-chicken-fillets/) pieces (which do in fact somewhat taste like and resemble lean chicken) vs Quorn [Bacon Style](http://www.quorn.co.uk/food/cook-from-scratch/bacon-style-slices/) Slices (which taste like and resemble a smoke-infused shoe insole). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/39 "2016-12-29T20:14:39Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I don’t find “vegan chicken curry” confusing , but I do find it strange to call a dish that can be made of various meats "vegan chicken curry " or “vegan beef sausage” or “vegan veal meatballs”. Is there a difference between vegan chicken curry and vegan beef curry? Or vegan pork sausage and vegan turkey sausage? Yes, there is a difference, both in texture and in flavor between vegan chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, pork, etc. If you look in the frozen foods section of you supermarket, you may find a small section of vegetarian meat-substitutes. I am a big fan of [Gardein](https://gardein.com) products. If you try them, you’ll find that the chicken is different from the beef which are both different from the pork, etc. We have a wonderful restaurant here in Las Vegas called [Veggie House](http://www.veggiehousevegas.com) where everything served is vegan. I haven’t had real shrimp in close to 30 years now, but when I get one of their shrimp dishes, both the texture and the flavor seem accurate to me, for example. > [@doreen](#): > > I don’t find the vegan whole turkey _confusing_ either, although the concept seems a little silly to me. Mostly because I don’t think people actually value seeing a roasted carcass on the table but also because I don’t think you could convince anyone it’s real turkey. On the other hand, once the spices are added to the sausage or the toppings are added to the burger, I think a fair amount of people could not reliably tell whether the “sausage” or “burger” was made of beef, pork , chicken or vegetable protein. I make lasagna every Thanksgiving using [Tofurkey brand sausages](http://www.tofurky.com/what-we-make/sausages/spinach-pesto/); I prefer the Spinach Pesto but will also use the Italian. My “family” here is a committed group of meat eaters originally from the Chicago area, yet most go back for 2nds and I have never had to take any home. In fact, I have to make myself a whole new pan of lasagna if I want to eat any after Thanksgiving dinner. The first year I made it, one of the guys was on his second helping before he realized that I had made it, which meant there was no meat in it. He looked kind of startled but he didn’t stop eating. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834/40 "2016-12-29T20:16:55Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Sure there is - imitation meat products can be styled to try to resemble one kid of meat or another - for example: Quorn [Chicken Style](http://www.quorn.co.uk/food/cook-from-scratch/chef-selection-chicken-fillets/) pieces (which do in fact somewhat taste like and resemble lean chicken) vs Quorn [Bacon Style](http://www.quorn.co.uk/food/cook-from-scratch/bacon-style-slices/) Slices (which taste like and resemble a smoke-infused shoe insole). Quorn products are terrible. Mycoprotein is disgusting both in texture and in flavor. Shun them! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-names-like-vegan-sausage-are-confusing/775834.md?page=3)