Imagine a BBQ where half the burgers on the grill are traditional ground beef, the other half are 100% plant-based products, and you couldn't tell the difference between the two. This is the vision of Beyond Meat, a company that's trying to change the alternative meats industry by creating replica products that are made entirely of plant-based materials. After seven years of work, the Beyond Burger is finally available in select Whole Foods Markets, and is just the beginning of their conquest of the meat market.
Their signature product is the Beyond Burger, an extremely authentic substitute burger built from pea protein. The burger sizzles, bleeds, and looks just like the real deal, all without an ounce of real animal product. I cooked up some Beyond Burgers, read on for my thoughts and evaluations based on every sense.
Sight
This burger really looks just like the real deal. You can find them in the meat section at most Whole Foods and they blend right in with all the products around them. From the second you open the package until they're done cooking it's like you're handling and dealing with a traditional beef burger
Smell
Not gonna lie, the smell is a little wonky when you first open the package, but once they're cooking it's just like you're at a classic summer BBQ. I cooked mine in a skillet and could tell just through smell the second they started to char in the pan.
Sound
These burgers sizzle and smoke in the pan just like their beef brothers. Once they were in there for a minute or so, they had produced a fair amount of juice that popped and hissed in the style of a classic patty.
Feel
Once they were done, the burger had a nice char and crispiness on the outside all while staying soft on the inside. The texture was surprisingly comparable to that of a classic burger and overall felt just like I was eating the real thing.
Taste
The most decisive sense of all: taste. This burger was delicious, it tasted really ~natural~ and wholesome, but most of all just like the burgers we all know and love. I could have a Beyond Burger any day of the week, be totally content and not miss the meat at all.
If all that didn't convince you to rush out and grab yourself some Beyond Burgers, here are some more stats that prove just how awesome this company and their products are for your health and the entire planet.
Beyond Burgers have more protein and iron than beef burgers, less fat and saturated fat and no cholesterol (that's right, absolutely 0g of stuff that will mess with your heart). Beyond Meat production aims to decrease the environmental impact of mass market animal farms. Sustainable, delicious and good for you, this vegetarian gives the Beyond Burger a strong two thumbs up and you can definitely catch me eating them all summer long.