# Meat-eaters' reviews of fake meat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 24, 2017, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576 "2017-11-24T05:08:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/21 "2017-11-25T13:17:33Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I wonder if they remember what real dead animals taste like. 30-year vegetarian here (with a few weeks off when I was at basic training, and I didn’t have a choice with the field chow); I became a vegetarian because _I don’t like meat_. At first I used to eat it occasionally, when I was at my grandmother’s, or something, and I didn’t want to offend her, but it got to the point where I didn’t eat it often enough, and it started to make me sick. When I realized I had to eat it at basic, I eased back in. And hoarded MRE peanut butter. Anyway, I don’t eat a lot of fake meat, but when I do, it like it for itself. I love Tofurky, for example, and I hated turkey when I was a kid, so clearly Tofurky doesn’t taste that much like turkey. My point is that for a lot of vegetarians, fake meat products is just a way of varying how you prepare soy; it’s not a way of actually trying to have meat. Occasionally it’s a way of “joining in,” such as when there’s a cook-out, and someone includes some tofu hotdogs, but we don’t really need them to exactly duplicate meat. Personally, if I wanted that, I’d just eat meat. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/22 "2017-11-25T14:59:50Z")
That all makes sense to me. And it makes sense if people who have moral qualms about meat, or allergies or something, eat fake meat and hope it tastes kinda like meat. What doesn’t make sense is people who eat meat choosing fake vegetarian meat and hoping it will taste like meat. Or vegetarians saying, “you should eat this, it’s just as good”. I don’t understand those. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/23 "2017-11-25T15:03:15Z")
And when a kosher friend came to a barbeque, I happily threw the garden burger he brought into the grill (with some protective aluminum foil, so it didn’t actually touch the grill or anything.) And I bought kosher burger buns, so he could “join in”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/24 "2017-11-25T15:51:14Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And when a kosher friend came to a barbeque, I happily threw the garden burger he brought into the grill (with some protective aluminum foil, so it didn’t actually touch the grill or anything.) And I bought kosher burger buns, so he could “join in”. I’ve read that for kosher purposes, vegetarian burgers are considered to be meat when it comes to the prohibition of putting cheese on burgers. (And non-beef meat is considered to be beef in that situation as well.) But that’s a topic for another thread. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/25 "2017-11-25T16:16:42Z")
I’ve not yet found a “fake meat” product I’ve cared for or was even remotely convincing except for maybe whatever TVP gets used to mimic finely ground meat in stuff like canned chili. But you could probably put tiny bits of dryer lint in that and it wouldn’t taste any different. stuff like Quorn just is spongy meh. the Morning Star “burger” patties are really good (esp. the spicy chipotle black bean ones I could only find at Costco) but as their own thing, not as a legit “meat replacement.” > [@gaffa](#): > > Here’s [a video review of the Impossible Burger,](https://twit.tv/shows/twit-bits/episodes/3208) where you can see the juice coming out. The reviewer, Megan Morrone is a fairly recent convert to vegetarianism, and remembers the taste and mouth feel of a genuine burger. there’s a place near me which serves that now. I’m going to give it a shot at first opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/26 "2017-11-25T16:32:26Z")
I’ve tried most of the various meat substitutes, I do like the Quorn products. Most of the products seem to taste better as part of soups or with sauces etc. However… I recently had two burgers, from [http://beyondmeat.com/products/view/beyond-burger](http://beyondmeat.com/products/view/beyond-burger) which I have decided are the closest yet to a “real” hamburger…(depending what the heck real is, after all the fillers fillers more fillers and additives to the meat are added). I thought they were almost to the 90-95% range of tasting just like a mediium rare, charbroiled burger…ad one a good bun, onions, ketchup, relish etc…It was REALLY good:D $6 for two. I havn’t tried the companies other products yet. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/27 "2017-11-25T16:57:59Z")
I’d be interested in trying the impossible burger but almost everything I’ve tried in the fake meat category was a poor substitute. I use to make tacos from vegi-chicken nuggets cut up with fake bacon and that was OK. It was an attempt at a BLT vegi-taco. I use to get a vegi-burger from a vending machine at work that was really tasty but it wasn’t because it tasted like meat. It was good on it’s own merits. It was made from rice and mushrooms and other stuff that just happened to be between a hamburger bun. I think the vendor made it themselves. I’d buy that on a regular basis if it was in stores. ---
**Author:** ![Rickymouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Rickymouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rickymouse)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/28 "2017-11-25T17:02:21Z")
I don’t like fake meat, other than of course Spam and good quality hot dogs. The cheap hotdogs almost taste like they are made of tofu sometimes. I don’t even want to eat lab grown meat, that just isn’t natural to eat meat grown in a test tube. What is wrong with feeding a cow and treating it decently then eating it when it is about two years old? At least it gets to live, if we plant grains to feed the masses, it would mean more fields. That also means we would have to kill all the animals that would eat these grains. It is better to live for a few years than not to live at all. I like the taste of an older chicken much better than the ones that grow super fast. It is hard to find one that has lived for a couple of years now, unless you get an old laying hen. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/29 "2017-11-25T17:30:30Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I use to get a vegi-burger from a vending machine at work that was really tasty but it wasn’t because it tasted like meat. Many fakemeat burgers (as opposed to Gardenburgers) taste similar to the deadcow burgers at AM/PM. They also taste a bit like meat. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/30 "2017-11-25T17:58:57Z")
I like the Morning Star black bean “burgers”. They don’t taste a thing like meat but for what they are they’re pretty good. I throw them on my George Foreman grill and then add the usual burger toppings for a quick dinner. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/31 "2017-11-27T01:54:47Z")
> [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](#): > > I’ve tried most of the various meat substitutes, I do like the Quorn products. Most of the products seem to taste better as part of soups or with sauces etc. > > However… > I recently had two burgers, from [http://beyondmeat.com/products/view/beyond-burger](http://beyondmeat.com/products/view/beyond-burger) which I have decided are the closest yet to a “real” hamburger…(depending what the heck real is, after all the fillers fillers more fillers and additives to the meat are added). I thought they were almost to the 90-95% range of tasting just like a mediium rare, charbroiled burger…ad one a good bun, onions, ketchup, relish etc…It was REALLY good:D > > $6 for two. I havn’t tried the companies other products yet. I just tried one I grilled tonight. nope. close but no cigar. At first it seemed OK, texture was about right, but it had a funny aftertaste which I’m still tasting a half hour after eating it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/32 "2017-11-27T03:03:45Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > … As far as stuff resembling cow, I recently had one of the much-hyped [Impossible Burgers](https://www.impossiblefoods.com/burger/), which takes the fake meat game up a notch by even [oozing red “meat” juices](http://www.post-gazette.com/life/dining/2017/10/02/Impossible-Burger-veggie-meatless-Burgatory-PIttsburgh-soy-heme-leghemoglobin-safety/stories/201710020143) when you bit into it (if it’s prepared medium rare.) A lot of the review online say its almost indistinguishable from meat. I’ll save you the trouble, it’s not. You can tell it’s not a meat patty when you bite into it, BUT it’s pretty darned impressive on its own merits. It fries up just like meat with a beautiful crust, has a great, slightly loose texture like a meat burger should have. It’s 10 on appearance, 9 on texture, and maybe 7 on flavor in how well it mimics meat. While I don’t think most people would have difficulty identifying the Impossible Burger vs a real meat hamburger, I would not be surprised if many people did not notice if you swapped out the patties of a meat burger without telling them. That’s an interesting product. I wonder what the actual impact of it is, as compared to a dead cow…around here, raising meat is one of the few things people do with land to make money other than cover out with houses, so there’s that. It violates my general food preference of “I want to be able to see what plant or animal died to give me this meal”, though. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/33 "2017-11-27T03:06:26Z")
This fake-meat nonsense is strictly for Westerners. I have known Indian vegetarians who won’t touch anything that even looks like meat, because just the sight makes them want to puke. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/34 "2017-11-27T13:50:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve read that for kosher purposes, vegetarian burgers are considered to be meat when it comes to the prohibition of putting cheese on burgers. (And non-beef meat is considered to be beef in that situation as well.) But that’s a topic for another thread. No, not in my experience. I’ve been in places that served the opposite- real meat with fake cheese. Ugh, fake cheese is nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/35 "2017-11-27T15:43:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **puzzlegal** : > > What doesn’t make sense is people who eat meat choosing fake vegetarian meat and hoping it will taste like meat. Or vegetarians saying, “you should eat this, it’s just as good”. I don’t understand those. There are two possibilities: A meat substitute will either taste like meat, or it won’t. If it doesn’t, then what it does taste like might still be good, and so a meat-eater might still be interested in eating it for variety. And if it does, then why wouldn’t a meat-eater eat it? Of course, in reality, there are many other potential reasons to choose one or the other. There might be a price difference, which might go either way. You might be planning a meal for a mixed group of vegetarians and meat-eaters, and it’s easier to just have the same menu for everyone. Nutritional factors other than protein might be relevant, which might favor one or the other. A vegetarian meat-substitute might keep for a longer time in the refrigerator, or in an unrefrigerated lunchbox. A person might not be a strict vegetarian, but might still want to decrease their consumption of dead animals for one reason or another. In any event, having a greater variety of products available, from a greater variety of sources, and with a greater variety of flavors, is always going to be a positive. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/36 "2017-11-27T19:11:46Z")
Tasty new foods are a plus, sure. But why “non meat that’s supposed to taste like meat”? As Siam Sam points out, actual vegetarians will likely find a good fake meat unpalatable, and meat eaters are likely to find it lesser. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/37 "2017-11-27T19:30:44Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Tasty new foods are a plus, sure. But why “non meat that’s supposed to taste like meat”? I think there are plenty of people out there like me who are dedicated omnivores, but have some issues with the environmental impact of meat and the meat industry as a whole. Anybody who knows me, knows that I _love_ meat, but if there were a fake meat product (or even lab produced meat) that was close enough to the real deal and economically viable, it might actually push my diet more in that direction. For example, I would definitely have that Impossible Burger again if I could find it commonly and it was about the same price as a regular hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/38 "2017-11-27T20:48:49Z")
Not all vegetarians will find fake meat unpalatable: While some don’t eat meat because they like it, and obviously they aren’t in the market for fake meat, there are also some who like meat just fine, but abstain for health or ethical reasons. And not all meat-eaters will find it lesser, and even if they do, they might consider that an acceptable trade-off for other benefits like those I mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/39 "2017-11-27T21:08:28Z")
I personally find fake meat pointless. If I want a vegetarian dish, I’d rather just have a good vegetarian dish (or vegetarian variant on a dish) than take a fake meat and try to pretend it’s meat. For example, I have a vegan friend who makes a great Shepard’s pie variant that uses mushrooms for the ‘meaty’ part, and while I wouldn’t mistake it for a lamb- or beef-based version, it was a great dish (not just ‘great for a vegetarian version’). I would almost certainly not like a variation that crumbled in some fake meat and tried to pretend it was a regular one, plus the fake meat would almost certainly cost more than either the real meat one or her variation. Yeah if someone made a fake meat that cost the same (or less) and actually tasted like real meat I’d have no problem with it, but from my experience none of the fake meats manage that, the best ones are just ‘well it doesn’t taste bad, and it’s kind of like meat’. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576/40 "2017-11-27T21:32:22Z")
Yeah, a mushroom-base shepherd’s pie sounds potentially yummy. Much better than a fake-meat shepherd’s pie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-reviews-of-fake-meat/802576.md?page=3)