Can these mock meat entrepreneurs fool you with a plant-based burger?

[Becky50]

Thanks for the Gott's suggestion in Palo Alto. Some friends and I will be making a stop there this next week to try the Impossible Burgers.

[ENIAC]

Some believe that crickets will become our primary source of protein in the future. All the sudden plant-based burgers don't sound too bad do they!
https://futurism.com/future-crickets-primary-source-protein/

[OrientExpress]

Some believe that crickets will become our primary source of protein in the future. All the sudden plant-based burgers don't sound too bad do they!
https://futurism.com/future-crickets-primary-source-protein/

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, you know how good "chipolinas" or crickets are. They are an everyday staple down there, and when cooked in chili sauce they are really great tasting, and crunchy too!

[EVDRIVER]

Some believe that crickets will become our primary source of protein in the future. All the sudden plant-based burgers don't sound too bad do they!
https://futurism.com/future-crickets-primary-source-protein/

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, you know how good "chipolinas" or crickets are. They are an everyday staple down there, and when cooked in chili sauce they are really great tasting, and crunchy too!

I've had them there, it was the night I felt pretty sick and hallucinated.

[ENIAC]

Some believe that crickets will become our primary source of protein in the future. All the sudden plant-based burgers don't sound too bad do they!
https://futurism.com/future-crickets-primary-source-protein/

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, you know how good "chipolinas" or crickets are. They are an everyday staple down there, and when cooked in chili sauce they are really great tasting, and crunchy too!

I've had them there, it was the night I felt pretty sick and hallucinated.

Next time ask them to hold the mushrooms and mescaline.

[LeftieBiker]

It's definitely not a soy aftertaste as I've had tofu which doesn't have the same aftertaste.

Soy has multiple components. Tamari (soy sauce) has the aftertaste I mean, despite not having any artificial additives. Tofu is made from soy milk, which is just one component of soy. You can make your own burgers from very firm tofu, bread crumbs, seasonings, and lightly sauteed onions. Those may also be what you seek, as you can flavor them according to your own taste. My Mom also came up with a very similar recipe for tofu "meat" balls in the Eighties that I adapted a bit and put on the Web years ago. Just search for "Sandy's Italian Tofu Balls."

[LeftieBiker]

It turns out that what I had previously tried was Beyond Beef's "Beast Burger." Last week I tried the new one featured in that video. One of the first things that you notice is the rather awful smell it produces while cooking. It isn't really strong or really offensive, but it is a bit off-putting. The taste isn't bad, though: think backyard plain grilled burger with a hint of peas. There is a faint but definite aftertaste, though, and the texture is more spongy that you'd expect. All in all I'd give it a "B+". Tonight I'm going to try mixing one of two of them into our tofu burger recipe, to try to produce a better-smelling, non-spongy burger. I may also use some of the mix to make Italian tofu balls as well.

[GRA]

Thanks to you and everyone else who commented on their experiences. BTW, everything I've read has said that beef has much greater impact than pork or poultry in terms of energy, land and water use as well as GHGs (all those cow farts and burps, plus manure*). If you've got different info, can you point me to it so I can check it out?

*https://www.popsci.com/cow-farts-are-an-even-bigger-problem-than-we-thought#page-2

[LeftieBiker]

No time to look for a link now, but the Cliff's Notes are: intensive farming methods used to produce chicken, eggs and pork (but rarely beef) are responsible for both increased resistance to antibiotics (along with their over-prescription to humans) and locally very intense concentrations of toxic pollution, especially in water. Cattle can be fed on grains, grass, or a combination, but chickens and pigs are virtually always fed grain, with all the environmental cost that entails.

The Tofu-BB burgers turned out great - same slightly-rare-beef taste as the Beyond Beef patties I mixed in, but less intense and with a texture I prefer. The smell remains a problem, though. Again, it isn't powerful but it's cloying and has staying power. EDIT: there is also a significant, although not strong, aftertaste that is also persistent. I may just try making tofu burgers with a little beet juice added, next time.