Review: Beyond Sausage

I love the Beyond Burger, so I was excited when I heard that Beyond Meat came out with Beyond Sausage.

You can find this plant-based sausage at Whole Foods and it's also served at some restaurants. Beyond Sausage is available in 3 varieties: Brat, Sweet Italian, and Hot Italian. I tried the Sweet Italian.

Like the Beyond Burger, it's soy and gluten-free. The main ingredient is pea protein and the casing is made from algae.

I didn't like these quite as much as the Beyond Burger. They are really big, and that draws more attention to anything that gives away that they're vegan. The texture is a little soft, so I grilled them and then cut them in half and grilled the insides too. That helped to keep the texture crispy. I don't know if I would like it hot-dog style though.

Review: Beyond Sausage - Sweet Italian
Taste: It tastes like pork sausage but is missing something I can't put my finger on. 
Texture: It was nice and crispy on the outside when I grilled it. But I think the inside would be too soft if I hadn't cut it in half. I don't know if I would like it whole in a bun. 
Can you tell it's vegan? Yes, but I might be tricked if it was prepared differently. It would be good to try with a sauce. 
Better than other vegan versions? I haven't tried any others. 
Worth buying again? I'm not a big sausage eater, but if I was craving sausage I would buy this again. 
Overall: 4 out of 5.

Review: Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread

When I first started swapping out animal products with vegan alternatives, butter was one of the easiest for me. 

I tried Earth Balance Buttery Spread a few years ago and haven't gone back since. It's made from vegetable oil, but to me it tastes like real butter. They say their "proprietary blend of oils" is the reason for its buttery taste and texture. 

It works for spreading on toast and also holds up to cooking and baking.  I've used it in everything from cookies to making a roux and have not noticed a difference. It's also available in sticks that make it easier to use for baking. 

A small number of people have told me they think it has an aftertaste that they don't like. Personally I don't pick up on that though. 

Earth Balance makes a few different varieties: original, soy free, whipped, olive oil, omega 3, coconut, and a new European style. I haven't seen that one in stores yet but it will be interesting to try. 

The original spread is made with vegetable oil, and a few of the varieties are organic. Most of them are pretty easy to find. All of the grocery stores near me have at least the original spread and some have more varieties.  

Review: Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
Taste: I don't notice a difference between this and real butter. Maybe someone who likes to eat sticks of butter would notice. 
Texture: When cold, it's a little softer than real butter and a little firmer than margarines like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. It melts like real butter. 
Can you tell it's vegan? No.
Better than other vegan versions? Yes, but I haven't tried very many. Some people have told me they prefer Miyoko's. I haven't tried that one yet. 
Worth buying again? Yes, I always have it in my fridge. 
Overall: 5 out of 5

Review: Impossible Burger vs Beyond Burger

Impossible Burger

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.

Impossible Burger Cut in Half

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. 

Have you tried either or both of these? Which is your favorite? 

Impossible Burger Review

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