What are vegetarian burgers supposed to taste like?

[Orrex]

Because I know what they do taste like...

[NoPasaran]

1. Vegetarian flavor

Pork, with a hint of smugness.

[Orrex]

2. Are you sure you aren't thinking of the iBurger?

Of course, in that case it's more than just a hint of smugness...

[NoPasaran]

3. iBurger has way too much hipster sauce for my taste

[Bucky]

4. Like a diet Vegetarian Double Down from KFC

[KG]

5. tried bocaburgers once. couldn't smear enough condiments of them to bury the nastiness.

[unpossibles]

6. anything but dead animals I'd say

I don't think they're trying to taste like a rotten, disease-ridden corpse, but maybe I'm wrong. I generally don't eat them other that when I am at a restaurant with no other options, which happens because I don't ever push my diet on other people, even the ones who push theirs on me.

[TZ]

7. They are trying to taste like

rotten disease ridden plants (hello spinach fertilized in shit, literally). Must we insult other people's food tastes all the time. Jeebus...:eyes:
Edit: you know Orrex is asking a legit question..so I'll answer it. Its marketed to people who used to eat meat and miss the taste so they are trying to replicate the flavor without the actual meat. Some succeed but from what I understand most don't.

[unpossibles]

8. You're right - I should just ignore the flamebait

after all, it was only a bunch of people mocking my food choices.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[unpossibles]

10. nasty?

The first several responses were not making fun of vegetarians?

Also, I did not say anything that wasn't true. I never say anything about my or anyone else's diet. Ever. Hell, I've gone along to steak houses quietly and gotten a baked potato because friends want to go there. I'm sorry if I seem a bit touchy, but it gets old having people make comments that a personal decision of mine from 20 years ago is based on trying to be hip.

[TZ]

12. Then address those folk-

Orrex didn't need to be flamed for his comments. I have this funny thing about seeing friends of mine unfairly attacked, which is why I commmented to you. I also seriously answered his question.
And implying that a product aimed at vegetarians often tastes like shit, is not the same as attacking a lifestyle...

[unpossibles]

11. also, the OP directly implied they taste like shit

and honestly I often agree, although there are some good ones out there.

[tango-tee]

14. Dear unpossibles,

I don't think you are being mocked. This is simply a thread about food that is supposed to taste like meat but actually tastes like shit.

As an aside, I am trying to sort of "sneak out" of eating meat, but have a DH who firmly believes dinner is not dinner unless it contains meat. Any hints you can provide concerning my "sneaking out" process will be very much appreciated. I've checked out the Vegetarian Group on DU, and some of the recipes sound really, really tempting.

Please don't be upset, my friend.

[unpossibles]

17. thanks. I do appreciate it. I'm not so much upset

but sometimes these subjects do get a bit weary and I've been in a bad mood this week. I think the Trader Joe's chicken or beef strips are pretty good if done in something like a quesadilla or a sandwich, and the fake sausages work well because they are spiced in a similar way as the real ones (soyrizo, the "smart" brand breakfast sausage, Trader Joe's spicy sausage links). I've also had some great luck with TVP in chili, but it takes some practice to get it seasoned right. I usually start with browning it with onions and the spices (cumin, chili powder, habaneros, cinnamon, salt & pepper, cayenne, and some vinegar), cook that for a while (basically making a chili concentrate) then add the tomatos, cook that down for a bit more, then adding the rest of the chili stuff (beans, veggies, whatever else you like in your chili).

I've never really cared for the burgers that much, but they are what they are - filler for a sandwich. My point was meant to be at least a little bit funny, that I don't think they're meant to taste like hamburgers, per se.

[tango-tee]

22. That sounds good!

I made a Cuban black bean soup a while ago that was out of this world. I added a bit of lemon juice to it in the end, and couldn't believe the difference in taste!

By the way, I'm afraid I jumped into things in this thread that might not have been any of my business, attempting to smoothe things out a bit. I hope I haven't stepped on either yours or Orrex's toes.

Hug? :hug:

[unpossibles]

28. no, I appreciate it actually

I love some fresh lime squeezed into the onions & peppers as they cook, or in the above mentioned quesadillas. good stuff.

[Orrex]

15. Do your food choices enjoy some kind of special protection?

If you read the Lounge on any day of the week, you'll see that somebody's "food choices" are mocked just about constantly. Perhaps you missed the "KFC Double Down" poll posted yesterday, for instance?

In my life I have eaten about fifteen "veggie burgers," each time hoping against hope that the current one won't taste like what I imagine pressed compost to taste like. And each time I've been disappointed.

Sorry to tread on your sacred cow (or cow-shaped tofu sculpture), but I have to confess that I have no idea why you've taken it so personally.


Flamebait? Puh-leeze.

[unpossibles]

19. nah, it's all good

And you're right that it's somewhat fair game.

peace.

[Orrex]

25. No sweat!

:pals:

[MiddleFingerMom]

20. Hate my food...

.
...hate me.
.
.
.
.
Like many others, I've never had a "good" veggie burger... EXCEPT once
at a fairly expensive (and worth it) restaurant when I had a marinated
tempeh burger. Yum.
.
Although it screwed me up for years after I moved to Arizona and tried
to pronounce Tempe, AZ.
.
People mocked me because I was saying the name of my favorite (my ONLY
favorite) veggie burger, instead.
.
Haters gonna hate.
.
Off to eat me some... what was it... "disease-ridden corpse"?
.
Humph.
.
Callin' ME a disease-ridden corpse.
.
.
.
.
.
Too early to make that call.
.

[tango-tee]

You and I may be disease-ridden,

but we're still kickin', as far as the corpse-state is concerned.

:headbang:

[tango-tee]

21. Hey, Orrex, before this gets all out of hand...

I can tell you meant no harm whatsoever. Unpossibles saw it differently and felt attacked. So there you go, both of you. Kiss and make up, dammit. And now I have the sneaking suspicion that I'm getting ready to get my ass kicked by both of you...

Many years ago I had a burger made of Dinkel (sorry, it's the German word and I can't find the translation anywhere). It is one of the oldest grains known to mankind; this burger was prepared with a variety of herbs in the mixture, and it was g-o-o-d.

Peace.

[Orrex]

24. I'M GOING TO TOTALLY KICK YOUR ASS FOR THAT POST YOU JERK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!

That's what you get for daring to be reasonable!

[tango-tee]

27. OH YEAH???? REALLY????

WELL, COME ON OVER HERE!!!!!

I'll smack you in the head with my plastic shovel and kick your legos all over the place. And then I'll pee in your sandbox. There! Take that!

Big smooch. :loveya:

[MiddleFingerMom]

32. Dinkel.

[MiddleFingerMom]

33. OR...

.
...The Hot Dinkel Joke.
.
Three nuns from Eastern Europe are in NYC to attend a United Nations conference.
They have the afternoon free and they are wandering around sightseeing. They've
been told that they should have something called a "hot dog", as it is considered
the quintessential American food.
.
They see a street vendor... and order one each with mustard. The vendor wraps the
hot dogs for them and they go to the nearest park bench to eat their lunch.
.
The first nun unwraps hers and blushes DEEPLY and, after a few seconds, turns to
her sister sisters and whispers, "What part of the dog did YOU get?"
.

[tango-tee]

38. You are one helluva sick individual, you know that, dontcha?

Now that we have that fact established, the question remains: What is Dinkel? Yes. Dinkel, Dinkel, Dinkel.

Oh, and before I forget: :silly:

[tango-tee]

36. Well, hell, MFM, don't just sit there and say "Dinkel".

Help me with the friggin translation, would you?!?

I tried www.leo.org and all it said was "spelt". What the f..k am I supposed to do with "spelt"? Huh? What in hellfire and damnation is "spelt"?!?

[MiddleFingerMom]

37. I think in English...

.
..."Dinkel" is spelt p-e-n-i-s... but we're not supposed to
encourage those kinda threads, so I just said "Dinkel".
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dinkel.
.

[tango-tee]

39. Woo hoo. You're being so..... well, so dinkely.

In your one-track mind you could only think of that one particular measly little interpretation, hmmm?

Could we maybe talk some more about nougat bunnies and champagne truffles?

Geeze... luvya.

PS: And I mean this is a serious PS: The cigarette I had forgotten about thanks to your Dinkel post just burned a hole into my dining room table. I'll never forgive you for that.

[MiddleFingerMom]

43. I never got a chance to see Bo Diddly live...

.
...to my everlasting disappointment, but I saw some sort of 50's R&R/R&B
stars All-Star concert on video where this R&B singer was MOANING to his
manager about having to follow Bo Diddley in the lineup.
.
His manager kept trying to give him a pep talk -- "You're the greatest!"
"You don't have to worry about following ANYBODY!!!" etc. and the singer
just kept moaning until the moment he stopped ABRUPTLY, studied his
manager for a few seconds and asked very calmly, "You never actually SEEN
Bo Diddley, have you?"
.
When his manager confirmed that indeed, he had not, the singer said, "Bo
Diddley is gonna walk out on that stage with his guitar and BURN A BIG OL'
HOLE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR... and I'm gonna walk out there
and fall right down in it."
.
And then the video showed Bo Diddley walking out on the stage with his
guitar and doing just THAT!!!
.
.
Me and Bo Diddley burnin' holes with our performances.
.
.
I like the company I keep.
.
.
.
Including you, tango-tee.
.

[tango-tee]

47. And the same goes for you too, MiddleFingerMom

:loveya:

[Kali]

42. spelt is an early species of wheat

edit to add a wiki link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelt

[tango-tee]

45. Thank you, kali.

The word "spelt" threw me for a loop for some reason.

[MiddleFingerMom]

49. Spelt is an ancient grain...

.
...still used in much of the world (the largest producer is India).
.
As an ancient grain, it is much like millet, which I had confused with milt -- which isn't
a grain at all. Milt is spilt on the ocean floor by horny molluscs n' fish n' such.
.
E-W-W-W-W-W!!! TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!! TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!!
OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE
.
From Wikipedia: Milt or soft roe also refers to the male genitalia of fish when they contain
sperm, used as food. In many cuisines, milt is served fried. In Russian cuisine, herring milt
is pickled the same way as the rest of the fish, but eaten separately, sometimes combined with
pickled herring roe. In Japanese cuisine, the milt (白子 shirako 'white children') of cod (tara),
anglerfish (anko) and pufferfish (fugu) are a delicacy.
.
OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE-OWWIE
.
.
Once again, I took things too far and discovered "pickled dinkel".
.
I'm sorry.
.
I'm so very very sorry.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No, I'm not.
.

[tango-tee]

57. Okay. Not only are you the cause of a hole burned into my dining room table,

in addition, you are now also the cause of brandy going through my nostrils. This does not feel good. My eyes are watering and my nose is dripping.

I know you don't feel sorry. But you should.

[jobycom]

48. That's not true.

A couple try to mimic the flavor and texture of meat, but most just try to create an ingredient for hamburger-style sandwhiches without the meat.

As for Orrex's question, if it was meant innocently, he used the wrong words and angle completely. There have been a lot of posts around here lately mocking vegetarians, preaching to us that eating "fake meats" is just proof that we really don't believe what we say, and one even claiming that vegetarians were cowards for eating fake meats instead of real meats.

It's getting very old and very offensive, and Orrex hangs out here enough to know not only that those posts have been happening, but the reactions to them. If he meant that question innocently, he missed by a mile. Someone could post "Why aren't black people as smart as white people?" or "Why do women dress hot and then complain when men won't take no for an answer?" in all innocence, but they'd still be wrong and as offensive as hell.

[whistler162]

13. Chinese wall board?

[Orrex]

16. Mmm. Formalde-licious!

[whistler162]

66. I was joking.... but I guess maybe I wasn't....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8149069

[DarkTirade]

18. Vegetarians, of course.

[BarenakedLady]

23. It's a good thing we are tasty.

[jmowreader]

26. Chicken, I think...

Everything ELSE does.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

29. Boca Burgers are tolerable to me.

But I once tried a true veggie burger (i.e. ground up veggies grilled in a patty) and didn't like it at all.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. They taste like crisp tofu

Actually, mine taste like ketchup and mustard, the only way I can stand them.

Bon apetit

:hi:

[Inchworm]

31. Mine taste like cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, and banana peppers

That's just how I roll.

:9

[Arugula Latte]

34. Some try to taste like meat; some don't.

A lot of us who don't eat red meat don't like the taste of meat and don't want to eat anything that makes you think of red meat. Others do miss the taste of red meat and want a simulation.

[rcrush]

35. The only taste I've been able to associate with veggie burgers is vomit

Seriously. I've tried about a handful of veggie burgers in my lifetime and they all end up with my spitting it out on to the plate and desperately trying to get that taste out of my mouth.

[tango-tee]

50. MiddleFingerMom, do not - repeat - DO NOT read this post.

And if you do, try not to even *think* of what you associate with Dinkel.

Dear rcrush, many years ago I had a veggie burger that was really, really delicious. It was made with Dinkel (okay, MFM, okay!). The English term for it is "spelt", which is - as kali explained in this thread - an early form of wheat. The burger was nice and thick, a bit crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and prepared with a variety of fresh herbs in the mixture. It was soooo good.

On the other hand, I can imagine someone throwing together whatever crap and touting it as vegetarian. Same as someone throwing together the carcasses and skins of something and touting it as... well, you know what I mean.

[jobycom]

40. There are about a hundred different styles, which one is your flamebait addressed to?

They are just patties to make sandwhiches out of, and the different ones taste like whatever their creator thought would be a good flavor. What they DON'T taste like is meat, and that's the only real commonality.

Which ones do you know the taste of? Boca, Amy's, Morningstar, Gardenburger, Praeger, or any of the dozens of smaller brands or individual restaurant creations? And which flavor of those brands have you tried? Or are you just trying to mock people whose consciences and or dietary preferences make them ignore one of your food options?

[flvegan]

41. Oooh, snap!

[jobycom]

44. .

What's with these posts and threads lately, anyway? I mean, if one of us started a "How can people stick rotting road kill in their mouths and chew it knowing it used to be a caring, compassionate being who wanted life as badly as any of us?" thread, it would get about a hundred "Vegetarians are self-righteous" posts before being locked three minutes after appearing.

[tango-tee]

53. You do have a point, jobycom.

No, I don't think vegetarians are self-righteous. And I'm not even a vegetarian - yet.

[MiddleFingerMom]

54. Again, I get hints of persecution complexes from some of our fellow travelers.

They almost certainly get crap about who and what they are from some in our
culture in general, but that doesn't justify in the least projecting THAT behavior
and criticism onto this forum -- at least not from what I've seen in these threads
recently.

I don't see anyone wondering how vegetarians and vegans can choose to eat
what THEY want to eat like the "stick rotting road kill in their mouths" comment
above -- meant to indicate that that sentiment HAS been expressed somehow in
this thread (though some have, including vegetarians and vegans, wondered why
they would want to "imitate" meat -- a legitimate curiosity).
.
What I do see in many of these vegetarian PRODUCT threads, in which people
express their distaste for the PRODUCTS, is an assumption that that is an
indictment of vegetarians and vegans themselves. By a very few only, but it's
there -- in much more abundance than any alleged slurs from non-vegetarians/vegans.
.
Same thing happened in the recent "veggie pepperoni" thread -- where absolutely
NOTHING was said concerning vegetarians/vegans being "bad" -- it was about the
appearance of the PRODUCT. And I think it may have been the same poster who
extrapolated "That pepperoni looks like poop" to "Vegetarians/vegans are
poopyheads"... despite the fact that the thread had quite a few remarks from
non-vegetarian/vegans about RESPECTING the practice/philosophy.
.
THIS thread DID mention the self-righteousness of SOME vegetarians and vegans
(though maybe they didn't go out of their way to specify SOME -- thinking that
would be presumed by most, if not all but the uber-sensitive -- and I don't see
a lot of time and thought given in The Lounge to the uber-sensitive).
.
Even given this very minor indictment of the behavior of some -- all but a coupla
percentage points of the posts here in this thread have been about the products...
not lifestyle choices.
.

.

[jobycom]

56. .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=9327398#9327581

[MiddleFingerMom]

59. Please (I asked in that thread and for the 2nd and 3rd time here)...

.
...please show me ONE post from THAT thread that is an attack
on vegetarians or vegans rather than PRODUCTS (although I did
see some kinda snarky comments coming from some who might very
well have been vegetarian/vegan).
.
And there were a LOT of posts, so I may very well have missed
one -- if you can show me one that I missed out of ALL those
posts -- please show me a second to indicate a possible pattern.
.
What was the point of that link?
.
Just one (OK, MAYBE two).
.

[jobycom]

61. Just did. nt

[MiddleFingerMom]

63. Please humor me and SHOW me the post(s) that attack(s) vegetarians...

.
I really want to know -- because maybe I'm missing something here.
.
Not the whole thread -- the POSTS, please.
.
Not gonna play ping-pong if you're just going be evasive.
.
Though I will draw conclusions from that.
.

[jobycom]

65. If you're trying to claim that the post I linked attacking vegetarians didn't attack vegetarians

then I can't. I can show you, but I can't make you be honest about it.

[MiddleFingerMom]

67. You didn't link to a post...

.
...you linked a whole thread. And that thread was attacking (as I said before) PRODUCTS. Unless
I missed one of your links somewhere.
.
That thread was filled with comments praising and condemning the taste and texture and
appearance of many veggie products... and it also had what appeared to be vegans and vegetarians
commenting. I not only didn't see the WHOLE THREAD as an attack... I can't find a single post
that is.
.
And you went on to make what really looks like a WILDLY subjective interpretation of "one" of
the OP's (I couldn't tell to which one you were referring).
.
Which POST or POSTS from that pepperoni thread attacked vegetarians? Can you copy & paste?
.
Can we stop playing this game? Can you please just show me the POST actually attacking vegetarians
so that I can shut the hell up?
.
Perhaps you're having the same trouble as I in finding it.
.
I could understand that.
.

[Orrex]

68. So one post in a thread with 80+ is enough to taint the whole thread?

Hmm...

[MiddleFingerMom]

73. What post is he talking about, please?

.
I got nothin' but crickets so far.
.

[Orrex]

76. I'm guessing that he means reply #55

Honestly, though, it's about as tepid a zinger as I've ever read on DU.

[MiddleFingerMom]

77. I don't see him pinpointing a post...

.
...no matter how many times I asked politely.
.
The silence is deafening, n'est ce pas?
.

[Orrex]

78. When I click on the link that he gave, it brought up that thread...

and then dropped down to reply #55 (to which he also replied in-thread).


Silence notwithstanding, I don't see what's so bad about that post anyway. It's certainly a lot more mild than most of what I see in the Lounge.

:shrug:

[MiddleFingerMom]

79. I mentioned...

.
...something earlier about uber-sensitivity.
.
ANY criticism about ANY aspect of something is heinous.
.
Any criticism about Israel's policies and YOU ARE AN ANTI-SEMITE.
.
Any criticism about America's policies and YOU ARE UNPATRIOTIC.
.
Any criticism about vegetarian products and YOU ARE TED NUGENT.
.
It usually relies on the use of hyperbole. Seen any of THAT lately?
.

[Orrex]

80. Well, without citing specifics...

I'll go so far as to say that it does sometimes appear that reactions are curiously disproportionate to the contents of the postings, and I'll leave it at that.

[tango-tee]

60. This is a sensitive subject.

If I were to finally become a vegeterian (and this is something I think about seriously), I don't know if I would want to buy an ingredient or fix a dish that would "taste like" meat.

To me, being vegetarian would mean enjoying the taste of meals containing the legumes and vegetables I choose to eat the way they are. No fake sausage taste or anything like that. Why would I want the *taste* of something which in "real life" I wouldn't want to swallow? I'm afraid that perhaps I'm not expressing myself very well here, but I think you know what I mean.

Vegetarians / vegans: What's your take on this?

[HERVEPA]

62. Liked taste of meat.

Became vegetarian because I didn't want animals killed on my behalf.
No reason to not want a fake meat product.

[jobycom]

64. Vegetarians have both takes on that.

It's a fairly common discussion in vegetarian mags and boards. My own is that I don't eat meat for personal reasons, but it's not the taste that matters, it's the origin of the food. If a fake meat tastes like meat or doesn't taste like meat is irrelevant. If I like the taste I eat it, if I don't I don't.

There are a lot of recipes I enjoyed as a kid that had meat in them, and many of them I look for ways to make now without meat. If someone makes a product that helps me recreate that basic flavor or feel of food without making me eat something I don't want to eat, I'm all for it. Others have different opinions. It's not a religion or law code--people eat what they feel comfortable eating. For years I didn't call myself vegetarian, not because I don't like the word, but because people started asking "Can you eat this, can you eat that?" I CAN eat anything I want to. I just don't want to eat that. So I just said "I don't eat meat." They usually followed with "So, you're a vegetarian?" So I just skipped that step and started saying I was vegetarian. Some people just say "Cool," others follow with either "I could never do that I love meat too much," or "I have thought about that, too, I'm almost a vegetarian myself."

Those are cool answers, they show the other person trying to find a commonality with me, or keep a conversation going--just good manner. But some people immediately start in with "I'm a member of PETA--People Eating Tasty Animals," or "Don't you realize plants are still alive and you can hear them scream?" or the ever-popular "Do you know how many bunnies die when they plow fields to plant vegetables?" The questions are disingenuous and defensive, and are meant as insults, to say not only "I'm not vegetarian" but also "You're diet seems self-righteous to me but I am superior to you." THAT's what the OP sounded like, like he was saying "Even vegetarians want to eat meat, that's why they make fake meat products, but their products taste like crap, so vegetarians are hypocrites and eat bad-tasting food on top of it." Following other such threads lately, it's a pattern I'm used to seeing, but I'm not used to seeing it so blatant at DU.

[yewberry]

75. Yo, joby.

Thanks for the post.

I, too, sometimes find myself frustrated with the "if you're a vegetarian why are you eating fake meat" question. I'm an oldster--I gave up the meat as a teenager in the late 80s. At that time, there really weren't many meat analogs. Now, though, there are. I can join a picnic with a notdog or a veggie burger, or have a fieldroast sandwich in my bag lunch, or share Unturkey at Thanksgiving. Am I fulfilling some basic meatlust by doing so? No, not really. It's just nice to be able to share in the traditions and activities that might otherwise be sort of closed to me otherwise.

[tango-tee]

84. It's good to get various points of view on a given subject.

Gives one food for thought, so to say. Sometimes I feel like the proverbial bull in the china shop, just blundering along, but one has to be able to start asking questions *somewhere*, right? And I very much appreciate the answers I've received here!

[tango-tee]

83. I think I'm beginning to understand what sends you into orbit.

Is it the fact that you feel you must defend yourself constantly? That the way you've decided to live and feed yourself is subject to the scrutiny and judgment of others?

I don't know if I've missed the mark completely, but please let me know!

[soleiri]

71. I'm vegetarian, so I'll answer

I'll use your example of sausage.
There isn't a sausage animal that you cut up and make little sausages,
it's put through a process and mixed with spices, correct?
The flavor of sausage is not specifically from the pig or whatever animal is used, right?
So why not combine tofu or grains with spices to make sausage or in my case, chorizo?

Deli meat isn't naturally occurring either, so why not form grains or tofu into thin slices for sandwiches?
The only semi-patty shaped item that drops from a cow is, well... cow shit.
You get the point that many foods don't naturally occur in the form they are served,
so why not take that familiar shape and modify it to fit your ethical or dietary beliefs?

I've been vegetarian for 20 years, I don't have the slightest clue what meat taste like any more.
I eat veggie burgers, soy chorizo, "chick'n" nuggets (again, chickens don't have nuggets),
not because they taste or remind me of meat, but because I like them.

back to chorizo.
I come from a Mexican background, and chorizo reminds me of Sunday brunch at my Grandma's house.
I modify it by using tofu and soy chorizo, but the connection I feel is the same.
I could write forever on the powerful connection between food, culture and our memories.
But I'll just say, that when I found someone who made vegetarian menudo, I practically kissed her.

[tango-tee]

72. Thanks for the explanation, soleiri!

[kwassa]

86. I used to like chorizo, too. Sausage has always been mystery meat.

Now I am eating Trader Joe's Italian-spiced soy sausages. They are pretty tasty.

I haven't found veggie chorizo or veggie boudin, the creole sausages.

[Orrex]

58. They were at restaurants. Give me time to call every place where I've eaten in the past decade.

And, as was mentioned up-thread, every day The Lounge sees half a dozen threads mocking this or that food choice. What makes veggie burgers, in all their nauseating gumminess, off-limits to criticism?


Also, I love how you leap from "Orrex thinks veggie burgers taste like shit" to "Orrex is mocking jobycom." What the hell is that about?

[Dr. Strange]

46. Was it one of these?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4343526

[DinahMoeHum]

51. Odds are, if you get them freshly made from a local supermarket. . .

they'll taste like the main ingredient; ie. black bean burgers or lentil burgers

In my neck of the woods, both kinds (plus another kind I can't recall right now) are available at a supermarket called Stew Leonards.

Plus, it's most unlikely they'll contain TVP or hexane-laced soy as I read from a previous DU thread.

[Taverner]

52. If they're done right, beef

But I've never had one done right

At best they can taste like a turkey burger

[MajorChode]

55. If they taste like hammered shit, you've obviously done something right.

[pitohui]

69. i think the black beans ones are pretty good

soybean burgers are a scam i won't tolerate but i've had some good black bean types

i'm a real fan of black beans in pretty much any format tho...

[fishwax]

70. there are dozens of kinds of and recipes for veggieburgers, so it depends on the

That's a bit like asking, say, "what is sauce supposed to taste like?" :)

[Hippo_Tron]

74. Honestly, I don't find that they have much taste

But when you think about it, if you eat a burger with a bunch of toppings you're drowning out the flavor of the actual meat. When I get a veggie burger with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese, it tastes pretty much like a hamburger with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese. Sure it's not the exact same thing but it's pretty damn close and the veggie burger is healthier and doesn't give me heartburn.

As somebody who isn't the least bit vegetarian, I'll eat a good veggie burger any day simply because they are usually low in calories, high in fiber, and taste pretty good if you add a bunch of toppings. Of course it's not a substitute for the real thing, but the real thing is something that I try to only eat on occasion as a special treat.

Now imitation chicken, on the other hand, isn't something I've managed to develop a taste for.

*I would also add that you need to cook them on a grill or in a frying pan. Regular burgers would taste like crap if you made them in the microwave and you shouldn't expect any different from veggie burgers even though the package says that you can make them in the microwave.

[GoCubsGo]

85. I eat them for their reduced calories, as well.

I'm not a vegetarian, either. I agree that you have to cook them in a frying pan or on a grill--except for Morningstar Farms Tomato Basil Pizza Burgers. I have no problem eating one of those that has been cooked in a microwave. The same goes for the breakfast sausages. I actually prefer those over the real thing, since they are not greasy. The same for Morningstar's sausage-style crumbles. Those are great on pizza and in other Italian dishes.

I don't mind the fake chicken, either. The non-breaded forms need to be cooked the same way as veggie burgers, and not microwaved. I find the breaded versions to be a bit too salty for my taste. The cubed version Quorn makes is pretty decent in dishes like Thai green curry.

[Rob H.]

81. Believe it or not, Morningstar Farms' "Grillers Prime" are really good

...in my opinion, anyway. They're the ones I've found to taste the most like actual meat.

I bought their vegan patties once, though, and they were so heinous I never bought them again. They even smelled bad while they were being cooked! Ugh.

[KamaAina]

82. Hexane?

:shrug: