An Impossible Burger, An Impossible Demand
The revolution of vegetarian food
A year ago, I was sitting outside on a sunny spring day. But rather than enjoy the al fresco dining, I was searching for a vegetarian item on the menu. It seemed that every item, from pasta to sandwiches, featured meat.
After explaining my dilemma to the waitress, she was sympathetic. She suggested an iceberg lettuce salad.
A lot of restaurants don’t think about vegetarians or vegans. Some places dutifully put a veggie burger on their menu. I imagine there is always a single patty in the freezer, waiting for a vegetarian to order it. The protocol when that happens is to immediately burn the patty, then put it on a stale whole wheat bun. The veggie burger tastes like rice and carrots, and falls apart.
Companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Burger are trying to change that. Impossible Foods has launched the Impossible Burger, which looks like meat, holds together nicely, and tastes amazing.
Yet, it’s 100% vegetarian. I’ve tried it several times at a local restaurant, and it does taste a lot like meat.
Burger King recently announced that it’s partnering with Impossible Foods to release the Impossible Whopper. The vegetarian patty contains “soy protein, potato protein, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and heme.”
This is great news. Why is a veggie burger such a big deal? Non-processed, home-cooked vegetarian meals are always going to be a healthy option. But not every restaurant is able or willing to cook vegetarian food. A veggie burger is easy to put on the menu.
They’re also easy to throw on a grill for a barbecue. Beyond Meat has already released vegetarian patties you can buy in supermarkets or stores like Target.
There are enormous environmental, health, and ethical reasons for abstaining from meat.
The only problem with these new veggie burgers? They can’t keep up with demand.
I recently stopped by a local burger place, and ordered the Impossible Burger again. Only this time, I was informed that it was no longer available.
Demand for the product is so high, the company can’t keep up.
Hopefully, the company can increase production soon.
When other companies release desperate slogans like “We have the MEAT!” and “C’mon, eat a hot dog,” we can shout back: “We have the impossible!” or “C’mon, go beyond!”
Going veggie has always been good for us, but now, if companies can satisfy demand, it’ll be easy, too.
