Impossible Foods raises another $114M for meatless burgers
sfgate.com
sfgate.com
I was extremely disappointed with the Beyond Burger-- it had a weird taste and I personally did not think it tasted anywhere remotely near real meat. It was oversalted, but I've heard some other people complain it's because the patty is already very salty and restaurants add more salt. It also might be a function of the fact that this was a vegetarian place and I don't think they're used to cooking burgers.
The Impossible Burger I was much more impressed with-- it still wouldn't fool me at all and I wouldn't quite replace beef with it yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing if they can improve it just slightly. For me, it doesn't have to taste exactly like beef before I would eat it over traditional burgers, it just needs to be a little closer. I would also like to try it somewhere that doesn't put as many fixings on it to taste the patty in a more pure form, since my burger was some miso-seaweed thing with strong flavors that could have been masking the patty (perhaps intentionally).
Beyond seems a bit more "diner" to me and best when treated a bit "greasier". The best I've had was a "dirty" burger that was a messy vegan play on a Big Mac of sorts (at Against the Grain, a brewery and smokehouse).
Impossible seems a bit more "steak" to me, and best when treated a bit "medium rare". The best I've had was a Southwest burger at Morel's (a "witchcraft" vegan place best known for their Farby's "roast beef" sandwich). Morel's mainstay on their menu though is a "steakburger" with A-1 and fried onions that very easily plays to Impossible's strengths.
Perhaps my expectations were too high.
Once they get the price below regular burgers I wouldn't be surprised to see it become a default option.
But way better than a McDonald's beef patty.
Vegetarian food is at its best when it’s not trying to imitate something it isn’t.
I know this is different than what many of the other commenters are voicing. My best guess is that the differences in preparation will make or break its similarity to beef. I am a former competitive BBQ judge, so I am no stranger to tasting meats.