The chef presents me with a beautifully marbled nugget of raw meat, tinged with a delicate yellowish-gray hue, then deftly takes it back and delicately drops it into a sizzling pan. “Today, you will have the pleasure of indulging in our delectable whole-muscle chicken filet,” Daniel Davila tells me, his culinary mastery on display as he sears the morsel to perfection. He allows it to rest momentarily, skillfully chars some juicy tomatoes and scallions, and expertly prepares a classic beurre-blanc sauce. “A true culinary delight,” Davila remarks.
Davila is one of the talented minds behind Upside Foods, a pioneering start-up based in Berkeley, California that is revolutionizing the world of animal proteins. After a few minutes, he presents the dish before me, and its enticing aroma of salt and sear immediately captivates my senses. I delicately cut into the meat, the serrations on the knife effortlessly shredding the tender fibers into succulent strings. Curiosity prompts me to squish a piece, marveling at its ability to bounce back and slightly dampen my hands. With cautious anticipation, I place a small amount in my mouth, savoring each deliberate chew. To my delight, it tastes remarkably similar to chicken.
But is it truly chicken? Well, it is chicken in its own unique way. Specifically, it is the result of taking chicken cells, culturing them in a nutrient-rich solution, allowing them to multiply, and then skillfully shaping and cooking them. The companies behind this innovative meat refer to it as “cultivated” or “cultured” meat. However, the more commonly used term outside the industry is “lab-grown.” (By the way, in case you were wondering, the cells used for the meat I consumed were derived from eggs, not live birds.)
This type of meat represents the future, or at least a part of it. Over the past decade, cultivated meat has evolved from a mere concept to a prohibitively expensive endeavor, and now it is readily available to consumers. This remarkable progress has been made possible by the infusion of billions of dollars in start-up investments. Upside Foods, which debuted in 2015, has even made its chicken available at the prestigious Michelin-starred Bar Crenn in San Francisco, with plans to expand to more restaurants in the near future. Plant-based alternatives, cultivated meat’s close relative, have already made their way into countless kitchen tables and grocery stores. Beyond Burgers can be found in thousands of supermarkets, and even Burger King offers Impossible Whoppers.
Currently, manufacturers are focused on creating alternative meats that not only rival the taste of traditional meat but also seamlessly blend in with it. In some cases, they strive to achieve indistinguishable results. And for many, the ultimate ambition is to surpass the flavor of conventional store-bought meat. As Uma Valeti, the visionary founder and CEO of Upside Foods, passionately expresses, “Our primary goal, and the one that remains paramount, is to make people realize that this is the meat they have cherished for thousands of years. The future holds unimaginable possibilities.”
Unimaginable is not a term commonly associated with the vegetarian substitutes that American vegetarians are all too familiar with. “The fundamental value proposition of alternative proteins,” explains Bruce Friedrich, president of the Good Food Institute, an advocacy group for alternative proteins, “is that once they replace products from industrial animal agriculture, they will immensely benefit the environment, biodiversity, global health, and animal welfare.” In short, their purpose is to do good rather than solely taste good.
However, the technological advancements achieved by these companies in recent years are groundbreaking regardless of their potential to reduce the number of livestock and carbon emissions. Plant-based and cell-based meats continue to improve exponentially. The dedicated scientists behind these innovations tirelessly fine-tune every aspect, from aroma and texture to flavor, all with the goal of maximizing consumer satisfaction.
Imagine a future where obtaining Wagyu beef is as effortless as purchasing regular ground chuck. Picture the fried wings at your local diner possessing the marble-like quality found in meat from a Bresse chicken. Envision your homemade roast beef sandwich possessing the tender richness of prime rib, and imagine supermarket shrimp exhibiting the sweetness and mineral notes of freshly caught langoustine. Now, take it a step further and consider purchasing chicken with the same nutritional benefits found in wild-caught salmon.
But don’t stop there. Imagine indulging in juicy duck thighs infused with the decadent flavors of Iberico pork fat. Envision savoring meats derived from the DNA of long-extinct animals like the dodo or the brontosaurus. Vow, Australia’s leading cultured-meat company, has even managed to create meat from mammoth DNA. Picture consuming meats cultivated from the most delicious cells sourced from a diverse array of animals and plants, ranging from sea urchin and morel to blood orange. And why not imagine meat with the umami essence of a Dorito or the tantalizing flavor complexity of an Oreo? Vow is diligently working on developing a culinary marvel that is not a mere replica of animal flesh but rather an entirely unique experience, an earthy, mushroom-infused product based on quail unlike anything one has ever tasted.
Embrace the concept of unicorn meat. Companies are eager for you to savor their creations, and they hope to entice you with their flavors, ideas, and merchandise.
Until recently, vegan burgers were perceived as mere imitations, unlikely to fool anyone, and cultivated-protein nuggets were not expected to surpass the taste of actual chicken. Meat was meat, a universally beloved aspect of the American gastronomic experience. Fake meat was…well, fake. The bean burgers and faux-hot dogs that emerged in American supermarkets and restaurants about fifty years ago primarily catered to vegetarians, hippies, and health enthusiasts. In many cases, they strayed from replicating the taste of meat, and unfortunately, they often fell short of being truly delicious.
The escalating climate crisis has prompted a moral imperative to seek alternatives to traditional meat. Animal agriculture alone is responsible for approximately 15% of greenhouse-gas emissions. In the late 2000s, several entrepreneurs recognized the potential to reduce emissions by creating fake meat that could appeal to carnivores. Venture capitalists eagerly supported companies like Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, and Eat Just, providing substantial funding to bring advanced materials science into the world of sausages, meatballs, and eggs.
To make plant-based meat taste more like the real thing, scientists had to delve into the molecular realm. Priera Panescu, a chemist at the Good Food Institute, explains that the challenge lay in infusing plant-based proteins with solid fats that mimic the texture of lard and schmaltz. Additionally, they needed to develop long, fibrous proteins reminiscent of muscle fibers using industrial extruders. Creating a meaty taste in plant-based products was also crucial. A significant breakthrough came when scientists at Impossible Foods successfully cultivated heme, a compound central to the distinct taste of beef, from yeast. Panescu highlights the extensive experimentation required to expand the possibilities.
Over time, this experimentation paid off as plant-based burgers and sausages transformed from lackluster lentil-based patties to formidable imitations of their animal-based counterparts. The Impossible Burger, for instance, truly lives up to its name, boasting a remarkably authentic flavor profile. Peter McGuinness, the CEO of Impossible Foods, enthusiastically describes the experience: “The coconut fat adds a tantalizing juiciness and sizzle to every bite. And the heme provides that iconic look, feel, and taste of red meat. When you grill it, expect it to bleed, sizzle, and offer a sensory burger extravaganza.”
To think that such a sensory experience, rivaling the real thing, has become a reality is truly awe-inspiring. Humans have been consuming meat for as long as our species has existed. As Briana Pobiner, a paleoanthropologist at the Smithsonian Institution, explains, “Fossilized animal bones bear unmistakable butcher marks left by early humans wielding stone tools. Two and a half million years ago, our distant ancestors occasionally butchured animals, consuming meat and even indulging in the rich, fatty marrow.” Our connection to meat runs deep, and some scientific theories even suggest that meat consumption played a crucial role in the evolution of Homo sapiens. Pobiner adds, “Humans have remarkably large brains, exceeding our body size significantly. Our brains are incredibly energy-intensive. Therefore, one hypothesis suggests that our brains evolved due to the energetic benefits of consuming meat.”
Eating meat is intrinsic to our very nature. Given this innate connection, it is astonishing that modern consumers seem increasingly unable to discern the difference between real and fake meat during blindfolded taste tests. Plant-based meat companies and independent evaluators have conducted numerous experiments, consistently revealing participants’ difficulty in distinguishing between the two. In fact, some individuals have even expressed a preference for the alternative options.
Let us pause and contemplate this phenomenon for a moment. Human beings have relied on meat as a staple food source since time immemorial. Yet, we have now reached a point where artificial alternatives can successfully replicate the flavors and textures we have long associated with meat. It is a testament to human ingenuity and the limitless potential of scientific progress.
As we embark on this exciting era, it is essential to recognize that these advancements transcend the potential environmental benefits and reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. Plant-based and cell-based meats continue to evolve and improve at an exponential pace, driven by the desire to enhance consumer satisfaction. Every aspect, from aroma and texture to flavor, is meticulously refined, ensuring that these alternatives surpass even the highest expectations.
So, let your imagination run wild. Imagine a world where the availability of Wagyu beef mirrors that of regular ground chuck. Envision your favorite greasy spoon serving fried wings with the same marbled decadence found in Bresse chicken. Picture making a roast beef sandwich at home, enjoying the succulent tenderness of prime rib. Or consider picking up shrimp from the supermarket freezer, savoring the sweetness and mineral notes reminiscent of freshly caught langoustine. And why stop there? Imagine purchasing chicken that possesses the same nutritional profile as wild-caught salmon.
But let us venture beyond the confines of current reality. Picture indulging in succulent duck thighs infused with the tantalizing flavors of Iberico pork fat. Dare to dream of meat derived from the DNA of long-extinct creatures, like the dodo or the mighty brontosaurus. Vow, Australia’s leading cultured-meat company, has even accomplished the remarkable feat of creating meat from mammoth DNA. Imagine savoring meats cultivated from
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