By Leighton Klevana

It’s supposed to taste like, smell like, and even cook like meat, but is the artificial meat that’s hitting stores nationwide really as good as it sounds? Unlike a traditional veggie burger, artificial meat is focused on replicating all aspects of real meat. This new type of “meat” has been growing in popularity over the past decade, but it wasn’t until 2018, when major producers entered the mass market, that the meat went mainstream. More and more producers of faux meat have entered the market, taking on meat substitutes for sausage, chicken, and other animal products. As of today, vegetarian products that imitate meat are sold in every major grocery chain and are served in a growing number of restaurants.

Two major producers of this “meat-free meat” are Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat. Both were founded to provide an alternative to traditional meats, primarily beef. One motivation for replacing, or reducing, beef consumption are the negative effects of producing and consuming the popular meat. Beef is an enormous industry, whose farming takes up over 56 million acres of land in the United States alone. The methods of farming come at a large cost to the environment, and the cattle industry contributes, on average, 3.3% of the USA’s annual carbon emissions. One goal of the artificial meat companies is to reduce the negative effects the beef industry has on the planet. 

Looking forward, the industry of artificial meat is expected to continue its growth. Demand for artifical meat is rising in developing countries, where traditional meat is expensive and hard to get. Beyond and Impossible Meats are increasing production in these nations to expand their global presence. This growth is most evident in India, as BBC reports, some of India’s largest cities, like Mumbai and Kolkata, have populations where 82% or more of their population eats meat. Beyond Meat in particular has taken note of this and plans to invest more in these meat-hungry nations. With success in India, it’s expected that artificial meat will spread to all parts of the world. 

In 2019, Burger King entered the artificial meat market. It was the first major chain to serve up a burger using artificial meat. It works with the Impossible Meat company to provide its burger across the company’s approximately 7,400 locations in the United States and Canada. Burger King marketed the burger as the Impossible Whopper, “100% Whopper, 0% Beef.” It was an immediate success for the chain, and CNN Business reported that in the first quarter the burger was available, profits rose 10% for the chain. This came following five years of stagnating profits for Burger King. In the summer of 2019, Burger King announced the burger would become a permanent addition to the menu.

With the success of the burger, I decided to try it myself. Despite not being a vegetarian or vegan, I was curious as to whether or not the burger could really replace beef. As one Burger King employee said, when I asked if he had tried the burger, “I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, but I tried the burger because, why not, and it tastes pretty close to the real thing.” With his comment, it was safe to assume the burger didn’t just appeal to vegetarians, but to all meat eaters. So one recent Sunday afternoon, I, a regular meat-eater, stopped by the nearest Burger King and ordered the Impossible Whopper.

As a Burger King employee handed me the burger, she told me, “Don’t be scared off by the looks of it.” But to my eye, the burger seemed like every other burger the chain sells. It was wrapped in the chain’s traditional wrapping and seemed normal. It was stuffed in a white bag alongside the accompanying fries. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

The wrapping, printed with bolded words reading “Impossible Whopper” “0% Beef” “Flame Grilled,” sloppily covered the burger. It had a sesame seed bun, crisp green lettuce, and generous portions of all the regular condiments. It seemed identical to the original Whopper.

Under further inspection, unwanted mounds of mayonnaise and ketchup hid the patty. Once scraped off, the circular patty was visible. It lacked any imperfections and resembled cardboard more than beef. Once the bun and condiments were placed back on top, it returned to a boring but normal-looking burger.

So I took the first bite, and, to my surprise, I couldn’t tell that I wasn’t eating beef. The texture was the same. The taste, while slightly bland, still was similar to beef. Even the aroma was like that of other fast-food burgers. It would take a true burger expert to tell the difference. 

Overall, while not a perfect burger, Burger King, alongside Impossible Meats, succeeded in replicating their famous burger. The taste was accurate, to the point that no meat eater could complain. For the most part, every other aspect of the burger was just like that of a real meat burger. So for anyone, vegetarian or carnivore, looking for a good fast food burger, without meat, the Impossible Whopper is for you. 

Featured image credit: Burger King.