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| Impossible Burger |
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| Beyond Burger |
You might have heard a lot of buzz about the latest wave of veggie burgers - the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger. But do they live up to the hype?
Absolutely.
These aren't your average veggie burgers. They manage to go beyond that and somehow impossibly taste like real beef. (Has that already been done by every blogger who's written about this?)
I've seen both of these popping up all over at different restaurants lately. Find locations for the Impossible Burger here, and Beyond Burger here. You can also get the Beyond Burger at Whole Foods. The Impossible Burger is not currently available by retail.
So what are these actually made out of?
The main ingredients of the Impossible Burger are textured wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, and heme. The heme is made from soy and is the secret ingredient to making this burger taste like real beef. Heme is a molecule found in animals (hemoglobin) and plants (leghemoglobin). It naturally occurs in much higher concentrations in animals than plants, and is what makes meat taste like meat.
[UPDATE: The new version of the Impossible Burger, Impossible 2.0, does not contain gluten]
The protein source in the Beyond Burger is pea protein. Unlike the Impossible Burger, the Beyond Burger is gluten free. It also has beet juice which give it a red color that looks like beef. It's made by Beyond Meat, a company that makes a variety of vegan meat products available in stores. But in my opinion the Beyond Burger tastes much better than their Beyond Meat Crumbles.
The protein source in the Beyond Burger is pea protein. Unlike the Impossible Burger, the Beyond Burger is gluten free. It also has beet juice which give it a red color that looks like beef. It's made by Beyond Meat, a company that makes a variety of vegan meat products available in stores. But in my opinion the Beyond Burger tastes much better than their Beyond Meat Crumbles.
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| Impossible Burger Cut in Half |
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| Beyond Burger Cut in Half |
If I had to choose, I would say the Impossible Burger has a better flavor and the Beyond Burger has a better texture. But they're both delicious and I would eat them both again. In fact, I haven't had or craved a beef burger since I first tried the Impossible Burger (although it helps that I have easy access to both). These even beat my previous favorite meat substitute, Boka Spicy Chik'n Patties.
Also worth noting is that how the burger is cooked makes a difference. If it's overcooked it can be too dry. But it also needs to be cooked enough to give it the caramelized grill flavors. If you try it once and don't like it, that could be why.
First impressions: "Woah it looks like a real burger and not a veggie burger!"
Taste: To me, the Impossible burger does a better job tasting like actual meat because of the heme. It has a fuller umami flavor.
Texture: When you look closely it doesn't look as much like real meat compared to the Beyond Burger. It also falls a part a little bit when you eat it.
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, but only when you look closely. I was surprised how much it tastes like beef.
Worth buying again? Definitely! I'm going to try it at other restaurants and see who prepares it the best. (Photo above at Bruski Burgers & Brew)
Overall: 5 out of 5
Beyond Burger Review
First impressions: "Is this the Beyond Burger or did I accidentally get a beef patty?"
Taste: It does taste more like beef than I expected, but when comparing directly to the Impossible Burger, it's missing that extra flavor from the heme.
Texture: Before you cut it open, it looks just like a beef burger. The beet juice makes it look red like beef. The texture is also closer to beef than the Impossible burger.
Can you tell it's vegan? Like the Impossible burger, I was surprised that it really does taste and look like beef.
Worth buying again? Yes, I've been getting this for lunch about once a week. (Photo above at my work's cafeteria)
Overall: 5 out of 5