In class today, we discussed meat alternatives that actually taste like real meat. For example, they have chicken fingers, hamburgers, and even barbeque wings. Like most people, I had a hard time trying to figure out what exactly the point of eating these items would be. But recently, I noticed that one of my roommates, who is not a vegetarian, regularly bought a pack of Morningstar Chicken Nuggets. When I asked him why he chose to eat these instead of real chicken nuggets, he told me that according to his religious beliefs, he’s not supposed to eat meat on certain days of the week and during certain months. These chicken-substitutes, to him, tasted just like real chicken nuggets (he even said they were better than McDonald’s) and he wouldn’t have to feel guilty about eating meat on these religious days. So, for some people, these meat alternatives provide a tasty substitute when meat is either unavailable or unable to be consumed.
My mother, who is a vegetarian, will refuse to eat products that look and/or taste like meat. While staying away from Morningstar’s chicken flavored items, she will still eat their black bean burgers, which she claims are more filling and have more taste than other vegetarian foods. After talking with her earlier today, I thought about how exactly these substitutes are made. After all, some chemist or food producer probably discovered a compound which can flavor ordinary soy products into more chicken-tasting items. I did a search online but was unable to find any specific compound which provided a distinct chicken flavor. However, I came across several patents that were filed which discussed how meat flavor could be added to foods to give it a more “meaty” taste. Certain aromatic compounds contribute to the aroma of the cooked meat while critical amounts of glutamic acid, succinic acid, and hydroxycarboxylic acid can add to the taste of “fake” meat.
Astonishingly enough, the ingredients of Morningstar’s chicken nuggets include over 60 items! If you’re interesting in reading some of these, you can go to: http://community.morningstarfarms.com/product_detail.aspx?family=365&id=320
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I know that my mom eats a lot of theses veggie 'meat' tasting foods. She said that she used to eat meat and she stopped, she became vegetarian and now only buys these because they are the closest thing to tasting like meat without actually eating it. Her reason for quitting meat was purely religious.
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