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There is a Vietnamese sandwich shop near my apartment that does something very few restaurants do: they use seitan, instead of tofu, on their vegetarian sandwiches. As a vegetarian, I love this fake meat option that neither tastes like tofu (because, to be honest, I’m really pretty tired of tofu), nor actual meat. It’s just wheat gluten, and that’s what it tastes like. But for some vegetarians and vegans, even seitan is too close for comfort. Riddle me this: do you like meaty fake meat?
A recent-ish (and very well-written) article by Brian Palmer at Slate got me thinking about the topic. The piece was about how vegetarians and vegans have had to get used to the fact that in most eateries (and, in fact, when cooking at home), the option is often meat (which is a non-option), or tofu, which is questionable because soy is sort of starting to get weird. Also, tofu is, much of the time, either fried or slimy, neither of which are very appetizing. In spite of the fact that fake meat is a burgeoning, million-dollar industry, rarely are we offered TVP (which is also soy), Quorn (which is fungus, but still kind of good), or seitan, which is wheat gluten and pretty awesome.
However–this is where the question comes in–there are quite a few vegans and vegetarians who find seitan’s consistency–as well as the consistency and flavors of other fake meats which can get pretty close to mimicking that of meat–to be off-putting. They’ve made the choice to not eat meat because they don’t like meat. They don’t want a meat-like substance, they want a meat-free diet.
And when it’s covered in sauce that’s often associated with meat–like barbecue or teriyaki–it’s really too much for them to handle. In fact, a friend recently told me that she prefers the slimy or fried tofu, because at least she knows they didn’t botch her order. Which is totally fair. Also, fake meat can be pretty highly processed, and if you’re skipping out on animal products in an attempt to be healthier, incorporating a lot of artificial stuff on purpose seems like a poor decision.
The Kitchn asked about this question some time ago, but I feel like it’s time to revisit it–this time, with an ultra-scientific, legally-binding poll. Which camp do you fall into? Do you like your fake meat to fool you, or would you rather never taste anything even remotely meaty, ever again? Let me know. I want to know which team to bat for.
.Image: Mine
Beware of “free PC error scan” & “you are 100000000 etc” ads here, though.
I found a lot of substitutes, especially from Asian supermarkets taste quite a bit funny, so I steer clear of them. On the other hand, one local company makes very nice vegan mince, which is great fried, it’s got meat like texture & caramelized taste without actually tasting like beef or the like. Their hard tofu cubes when fried now substitute for pork and salmon of the past – I generally got to have something with spuds, rice, pasta, and now, lentils. I tried seitan, but it again tasted funny, probably due to the specific tastes of their likely Asian makers. On the other hand, some Asian eateries (if you can find them) do make nice substitutes that don’t taste too funny.
I personally, believe if there were more meat texture/flavor like choices, more people will try them instead of real flesh, especially in the fast food area – no bad fats, zero cholesterol – stuff yourself. A lot of the taste that people like is caramelised crust, which many substitutes achieve quote nicely.
I like the chewiness and the very low fat/high protein factor of SEITAN.
CHEWING is good for digestion and enjoyment of food. I have never viewed the seitan I make for myself as ‘fake meat’. Slice it, dice it, shred it. Easy recipe here:
http://veganopoliscookbook.blogspot.com/2011/03/making-simple-seitan.html
I’ve been veg forever and have never missed meat, so the fake meats that are supposed to taste “meaty” (or have fake grill marks, even) are not to my liking. I like veggie burgers that are made up of beans, grains, and veggies and are easy to use in sandwiches and wraps. I recently got hooked on Tofurky Italian Sausage with sun-dried tomatoes, and my dogs practically tackle me to get some. It has a firmer texture than the veggie burger products I usually like, but it’s just spicy and tomato-y and good. I usually just make my own with chickpeas, mushrooms, lentils, and other veggies, but when I’m feeling lazy, these products are okay.
I like and eat fake meat (I also like and eat natural, whole food vegan protein sources) but do sometimes feel that buying Morningstar or Boca burgers perpetuates the notion that meat is a standard for vegetarians and vegans to aspire to. By mimicking it, we’re acknowledging its relevance, and I agree with GreenEyedLilo that the long-term success of a veggie diet is to learn to appreciate plant-based foods. Plus, for those who don’t eat animal products for ethical reasons, anything that “tastes just like meat” could one day actually be meat and we wouldn’t know, which weirds me out. Also, as you mention, highly-processed GMO soy products aren’t great for humans or the environment.
Meat is a term which does not necessarily equate the flesh of an animal, so the terms “fake meat” and “meatless” when associated with vegetarianism tend to irk me. I tend to think that if people were able to understand that meat can refer either to tempeh or chicken, we would get alot further. And those who disagree with this comment should check a better dictionary.
I am someone who really enjoys vegetarian meats, but being that I am someone who avoids eating animals primarily for aesthetic reasons I am not bound to enjoy something which is simulated to taste like cow. Nor am I sure that if it is simulated to taste like something it is not that it is going to be wholesome. Again, if we could avoid equating vegetarian meats to cuts of animal flesh, then maybe I would have less trouble when showing up for BBQs and am given a beef-tasting GMO soy-patty instead of a portobello burger or a nut burger from the deli.
To me, diferentiating between the two is important because the lines have become so blurred for many. If I am at the store and buying pre-marinated tempeh, I am greeted by packaging calling it “fake bacon” when in reality it is nothing like pork bacon and there is nothing simulated about the product I am buying.
Something here is worth pointing out- I have never enjoyed beef in my life. I have avoided it since I was a child. Even before I completely removed animal flesh from my diet, I would not consume it. So I used to buy Yves vegetable grounds and Gardein “beefless tips” from the store on nights other people were eating beef so I could have something similar to work with that didn’t have a taste or texture that repulsed me.
I find it unfortunate that no one is willing to market anything as a vegetarian meat without equating it to something that is not vegetarian. All it really comes down to is the supremacy of being a carnivore. If you aren’t one, you have to pretend to be one, and everything you do is “fake this” or “mock that” and I will never have the opportunity to sit down and enjoy my meats without being scorned at.
I do understand that there are certain people who may want a burger that tastes like sirloin beef but is made of isolated proteins. Fine, then market it as “Mock Sirloin Beef” and stop relating my tempeh to bacon and my tofu to chicken. I like my REAL vegetarian meat to taste just like vegetables, beans, nuts, fruits, and legumes. I do not like excessively processed products which are simulated to taste like dead cows- but that is just me. I really wish we could get rid of the isolated soy proteins because, yes, they are a waste product and they are just being masked as health food. Why? Because of the persistence of the people to blur lines between what is real and what is fake when it comes to vegetarian meats.
What is that saying … if it isn’t something your great grandmother would recognize as food, you probably shouldn’t eat it. I think it speaks to the power of marketing that big agribusiness has been able to take what was essentially a waste product or used to make paint (soy) and market so successfully as a “health food” as a cheap and much more profitable substitute for real food.
I don’t mind if a meat substitute tastes “meaty” if it has an appealing flavor – same as I don’t mind if it tastes nothing like meat if I like the taste. Here in Canada we have President’s Choice meatless breaded “chicken” strips that most people can’t distinguish from the real thing, and we love them. On the other hand, I’ve had lots of really delicious meat-substitutes that are nothing like the real thing.
I welcome a solid, “meaty” texture sometimes, such as in chili or burgers, but I don’t particularly like the taste or smell of meat. Because I have chicken and egg allergies, I especially find a realistic chicken taste or texture off-putting–I’ve long associated that particular foodstuff with feeling sick. I can’t bring myself to eat scrambled tofu, either.
Meat substitutes can be good products, and function as “training wheels” for new vegetarians, but I believe that to maintain a vegetarian diet over the long haul, one must learn to appreciate the tastes and textures of other foods for what they are.