Ars Technica:
The chic, plant-based Impossible Burger that browns and “bleeds” like the real thing just got a little more possible.
On Monday July 23, the company behind the meatless meat, Impossible Foods, announced that the Food and Drug Administration had finally accepted its latest application to consider the burger’s key ingredient safe to eat. The final nod puts that ingredient—dubbed soy leghemoglobin—firmly in the regulatory category of “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS.
I’m a confirmed omnivore and I’d love to try one of these burgers.
I’ve tried it from their food truck in San Francisco and I actually didn’t know it wasn’t real meat when I ordered. The taste wasn’t bad at first, but a couple of bites in I started to notice that the texture wasn’t what I expected. Once I clued into the fact that it wasn’t meat it was hard for me to move past the weird texture and sliminess of it all.
That’s too bad. I wonder had you not known at all what you would have thought. So, 1 out of 10, it’s a?
As do I, thanks for the info.
These are available in grocery stores in the SF Bay Area as “cook from frozen” burgers, so if you absolutely had to, you could get someone to deep-freeze them overnight, and then express them to you. Probably wouldn’t even need dry ice.
Cook them in fat, long, to get a good solid char on both sides, and the inside as hot as possible without becoming completely dried out. The center will probably never turn grey. Serve hot. Reheat in microwave.
Taste in this regard is ULTRA subjective — the “uncanny valley” of “it’s almost meat, but no, EWWW” and all that.
I found the flavor to be excellent — way better than fast food burgers, more like chain burger place burgers. The texture might be a little fine-grained for some people, but it didn’t bother me.
I’ve had them twice. Once from a Bareburger chain in Queens, NY, and once from a White Castle (don’t judge me) here in Jersey. Not bad at all, even the White Castle ones.
I’m not claiming an extraordinary similarity in taste, but they felt right. All were takeout, and somewhat dry when finally eaten, and so required more condiments than a genuine burger might. I’d have them again.
They’re not absolute replacements. I never expect other such substitutes to taste exactly like their counterparts. They’re just different food in a similar format, and can be enjoyed for their differences… when the flavor’s right.
Interesting question… The taste was decent, but as I mentioned I really wasn’t a fan of the texture. I ended up only eating about half the burger because I just couldn’t stomach another slimy bite. So I guess it may depend on how everyone values the texture of food vs taste, both are important to me. I guess I’d give it a 4-5 overall.
Also, for full disclosure, I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, I love meat, and food in general.
Interesting the little bits that make a burger experience, a burger experience!
And, would it matter to an individual who never experienced a ground beef burger?
I can’t imagine why it would.
I wonder if would be better in small McNugget sized chunks? McNuggets don’t exactly have the meat texture either, and they’re well-received.
Well considering it’s not meat, I’m not sure what the answer there is. However, the texture just wasn’t that of meat IMO.
Interesting question. I’d think, with them having no frame of reference, it might be more well received.
I tried one at the local Counter Burger. To me, it tastes like someone took some leftover meatloaf, smushed it into a patty, and fried it on both sides. So it does taste like meat, and that’s impressive in itself, but it’s not an ample, juicy, well-charred burger. Not yet, anyway. It’s fascinating stuff.
Is it possible it wasn’t cooked well enough? Cook time depends on how slimy or how chewy meat is. I like my burger well done so I likely wouldn’t like this. But that’s ok. I’m not going to be this companys guinea pig.
McNuggets are reliant upon a different processed meat product, of which there are vegetarian simulations as well. Different texture entirely.
White Castle sells Impossibles in their customary slider size. I’ll chalk up their differences with a full-sized burger to their cooking method.
I believe they’re slightly better than Whole Foods’ 365 brand or Beyond Burger. All three are better than my old quick-meal standby, Boca Burger.
kickass.
my vegan SO has tried them and said theyre similar to a mcdonald’s patty — not amazing as far as beef goes, but good enough for a non-meat eater wanting a high protein burger.
they’re better if not cooked well done, but unfortunately many restaurants aren’t going to give that a lot of mind. looking forward to preparing at home tho.
sounds like they overcooked it.
It was supposed to be done medium (per their recommendation) and was still pink/red in the middle, but maybe somehow they did.
I’ll second bdkennedy’s suggestion that yours might not have been cooked enough. If anything, the Impossible I had a few months ago most resembled a dry, overcooked beef burger.