Why do meat substitutes exist?
I'm omnivorous, but have many "restricted diet" friends. None of them ever consume fake meat (and there is plenty available in the UK - from Quorn, through Linda McCartneys dubious nursery food substitutes to good old TVP pellets) since they acquire bountiful nutrition from a varied vegetable diet. So who eats this stuff? And why? Surely, if you choose not to eat meat, an industrially manufactured simulation is a perverse alternative? Or am I missing the point?
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11 Comments:
I've eaten quite a few of the meat alternatives. Generally, I don't eat a lot of processed food, but sometimes I just want a hot dog. Since I no longer eat pork, beef, or fowl, I'll have a "not-dog." With a lot of mustard.
These substitutes are often called "meat analogues," although I'm not sure exactly what that means.
Sometimes I just want something different, although I'm not a huge fan of soy. I went vegetarian (and vegan for a few years) for health reasons. When I missed dairy, I gently added it back into my diet. When I wanted more options, I added fish back as well. I probably won't add anything else, since this arrangement is working just fine.
Not all of the fake meat is bad, by the way. It's a matter of cooking it correctly -- seasoning, texture, etc. Even my husband, the carnivore, enjoys fake bacon. I've also eaten at some vegan restaurants where they combine taro with seitan to achieve a really nice fake chicken.
As with any food choice, I think it's a personal decision. Some folks have political interests, some (like me) are trying to improve their health by cutting saturated fats and cholesterol.
hereandthe at 10:01AM on 10/03/07
I am also omnivorous, but I occasionally eat meat substitutes because I don't need eat meat all the time and I occasionally want something (protein) to supplement my "varied vegetable diet" that is not beans or straight tofu (I don't like eating a lot of soy) and I don't feel the need to purchase and cook meat, especially since the meat I purchase from the farmer's market is largely out of my budget to purchase and eat regularly.
Also there are some meat substitutes that are very good. I prefer those made from gluten rather than soy, but to each their own.
"This stuff" is also not a new invention either, flavored seitan, tempeh, soy, and gluten have been made and eaten for centuries, particularly as part of Buddhist cuisine.
Sorry you find them a "perverse alternative."
intheyearofthepig at 10:36AM on 10/03/07
Because I'm an omnivore, I don't really view these products as meat substitutes. I enjoy them for their taste, which is why I'm glad they exist. For example, I like to make sandwiches with Boca burgers AND real bacon strips...it's a matter of taste for me. I also enjoy things like taro, soy, etc. for the taste. Good stuff.
stumbler02 at 11:02AM on 10/03/07
I've had TVP at a place called Burritoville in NYC under the name "Vegetarian Chorizo." I was suprised and delighted at how it tasted. I can't speak for vegetarians but I'm thinking it has something to do with mouth feel and the delivery of necessary protein. Strictly from a cooking standpoint, there are textural restrictions with tofus and actual veggies that can be satisfied with meat substitutes such as TVP.
chiff0nade at 11:08AM on 10/03/07
I used to eat Boca burgers. In 2000 we got a bad box. They did not smell good and they did not taste good. It put me off. I do not deal in tofu. But I deal in falafel. Love love love a good falafel.
When we do a meatless meal here we go for a nice portobello marinated and grilled, falafel or a pasta veggie dish.
I make turkey dogs for people at my cookouts who do not eat beef ones. Grilled they taste very good. I also take falafel roll it in a dog shape and grill those (make sure you chill them good first) and people love them.
JerzeeTomato at 1:00PM on 10/03/07
I enjoy imitation meat because it (when it's good) matches the texture of the real stuff, but is higher in fiber or lower in fat/calories.
My vegetarian ex and I would always bring a Tofurkey to Thanksgiving because it would shut up all the relatives fretting over what the sole vegetarian would eat. Although he would have been fine with a plate full of veggies, my family was less anxious when he had something resembling meat on his plate.
www.hundredthings.com at 2:19PM on 10/03/07
I could eat a good Gardenburger or soy sausage anytime. I'm a meat eater, rampant meat eater, but I like the flavor of tofu and soy. If I'm at a good Thai place I almost always get tofu. I guess it's because I can eat a good burger, steak, etc. anywhere, but it's hard to find places that do good things with tofu or meat replacements.
At home I use soy "ground beef" in my meat sauce. No one ever notices the difference (and these are big burly Wyoming men who would mostly rather die than eat soy)!
lo82070 at 2:51PM on 10/03/07
I don't understand the whole proliferation of meat analogs. If you want the taste of meat, eat meat! That said, I made a really good patty melt out of a Boca burger that we had leftover from some vegetarian visitors. And I felt so virtuous because it was so much more healthy than hamburgers. One caveat, the next time I made one, I made sure to have Beano with my Boca.
Library Lady at 2:52PM on 10/03/07
I'm a vegetarian who personally cannot stand fake meat. I don't like meat, the texture, the taste, the whole thing just disgusts me (no offense intended), so why would i want to eat something that is supposed to simulate exactly what i try to avoid? I'm as confused as you are on the whole subject, but i guess for vegetarians who have switched from omnivorous diets for ethical reasons and miss meat it's a good substitute. I personally would rather take the meat (organic mind you) over the fake stuff any day, at least its less processed.
avryan at 7:33PM on 10/03/07
Until the recent food scare about melamine-containing gluten in pet foods, I enjoyed Chinese mock duck, or braised gluten, which comes in a can in a nice sauce. Not the healthiest, but tasty, and easy to use in a stirfry.
emily20008 at 10:16PM on 10/03/07
When I lived in Denmark, I was frequently offered fake meat, some of which was really horrible - tofurky in a tin springs to mind. However, there are some soy-based products that I like. I quite like vegetarian sausages, for example. I don't think they taste like meat, they're just quite nice in themselves, particularly with mash and red onion gravy. I occasionally will put some quorn in my shepherd's pie, usually when I'm planning to feed it to omnivores. It doesn't really taste of anything, it just adds bulk and heartiness. Generally though, I prefer tempeh or tofu, both of which I really love and neither of which is trying to be anything other than itself.
caley at 6:16AM on 10/04/07