The Truth About Fake Meat

Fake meat is now a big part of our lives. We're gobbling up the faux stuff more than the real. Yet there's so many out there. Which one is the best? Which one tastes like the real thing? It's time for a taste test.

Julia Moskin posed these questions and had a tasting table with fellow Food  section writers, Pete Wells and Melissa Clark, Also she employed her twelve year old vegetarian daughter and Ms Clark's burger loving one. Each burger was  seared with a teaspoon of canola oil and served on a potato bun. These  were eaten plain and then a second one with all the trimmings , from condiments to pickles and cheese. How did they rate? Impossible Burgers ranked number one with four and a half stars. Ms. Moskin's daughter thought it was real beef, slipped in to confuse the tasters.Ms. Clark though, thought the meat too dried out .It does contain a compound  - soy legheroglobin - created from plant hemoglobins - to create a bloody look. The second best Beyond Burger - which I've eaten and liked. This received four stars . It was deemed juicy with convincing texture with a lot of unami. This was from Melissa Clark. Her daughter however deemed them to have a smoky barbecue flavor , like those of barbecue potato chips. Even Pete Wells said it was a beefy experience.

What other faux burgers were good?Lightlife Burgers, out of Toronto , got four stars as well. It was considered firm and chewy thanks to it being made from a sturdy soy product called tempeh. The Uncut Burger was rated the meatiest of the whole bunch. It had a slightly chunky texture like good coarse= ground beef according to Ms. Moskin. Ms. Clark , on the other hand, felt the texture made the patty fall apart and similar to wet cardboard!. Mr. Wells deemed it bacony and smoke flavored. Then their is the artisanal Field Burger that claims "plant based artisanal meats". It has vegetal notes of onions, celery and three kinds of mushrooms, fresh , dried, and powdered. The crust had a likable crispness for Mr. Wells, but it does have a bready exterior thanks to the addition of gluten. The least favorite is Sweet Earth Veggie Burger with only two stars. It comes only in flavors so Ms. Moskin chose the Mediterranean style as the most neutral. Ms. Clark claimed it had a falafel flavor thanks to the abundance of chickpeas. It wasn't meaty tasting but nutty and grainy. It also has whiffs of cumin and ginger.

Which burger is the best? The one you like. Go with the faux burger that satisfies you with flavor and texture. That's what matters. Your tastes and preferences.