Meat is a staple of many people’s diets, from beef, lamb and chicken to processed meats, frozen meat, burgers and sausages. With the increase in the number of people turning to vegetarianism, there has been a demand for meat substitutes as vegetarians look to replace their meat with a vegetable-derived alternative. However, fake meat is difficult to produce due to meat’s complex structure, and these alternative ‘meats’ end up not quite achieving the right texture or flavour.
The inadequacy of a lot of fake meat means the producers add a lot of seasoning to the product, so consumers are eating high levels of salt and sugar. Strong flavours of spices dress up the fake meat, and people can enjoy the meaty texture. However, there is a long way to go before they achieve the same flavour as real meat. This may not be a problem if the consumer does not want the meat flavour. Indeed, the answer could be to produce a new food without marketing it as fake meat and find some new flavours to explore.
Traditional Cooking
Real meat has always been a staple food for the commercial restaurant business, with roasts some of the most popular meals ordered by customers. Hog roast machines are highly useful in these commercial kitchens, as they enable the restaurant to offer authentically cooked meat with the flavour of a traditional spit roast. This is a timeless cooking method that is also convenient and practical for cooking large quantities.
The hog roast is intended, of course, for cooking pork, but this kind of machine is highly versatile and is also portable, so it can be transported to catered events or even hired out for functions such as weddings and catered meetings.
Taste Alternatives
Although scientists have been successful in creating lab-grown meat, as discussed in this article from the BBC, there are also plenty of delicious recipes available for those who are happy to leave the fake meat aside and embrace the various current meat alternatives, such as tofu.
The main enjoyment of meat comes not only from the texture and flavour, but also from the high protein content, giving diners a feeling of satisfaction and the sensation that their stomachs are full. Vegetable protein does not produce quite the same feeling when eaten. This is another reason why food technologists may be better off spending their time creating a new flavour of food rather than focusing on fake meat. There are a lot of health benefits to properly cooked and stored meat but equally these can be found in supplements like those sold by blueiron.co.uk who sell iron supplements,
If a truly delicious new food was created which was satiating, high in protein and packed with essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, then people would surely eat this. The new food could be eaten alongside meat and then slowly used to replace it for those who wanted to stop eating real meat. Copying the flavour and texture of muscle, bone, cartilage and other constituents of meat is not an easy task. By focusing on new flavours and leaving the fake meat behind, consumers could enjoy a range of exciting new dishes and flavours at home and when eating out.