jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This is a strange one. It's vegetarian, but is also flavored like chicken and ham. If you're a vegetarian, I guess it's okay to eat something that tastes like an animal but isn't one. So I guess it's a vegetable product that tastes like a ham/chicken. I'd like to see them do a taste test and ask people what it tastes like.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Judging from the "vegetarian turkey" I have sampled at Thanksgiving, it probably tastes like rubber..... (which is, after all, vegetarian also!).

DAN Phillips Loc: Graysville, GA

My first wife was a 7th Day Adventist, they are mostly vegeterians. There are several companies which produce immitation meats products such as Hot Dogs, Hamburger, Bacon and supposed Turkey products. I never tasted anything that was supposed to be meatlike that had a good taste. It had a terrible flavor, smell and texture and left your breath atrocious. I appreciate their reasoning for doing it (health factor), but to me it seems somewhat hipocritical.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

My wife is nearly vegetarian... eats a little chicken and a little fish sometimes. We use a product called 'Ground Round' a hamburger substitute for Chili, Spaghetti Sauce, and Shepherd's pie. It's an excellent product and tastes quite good.

Dik

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I would much rather have rice and beans, hummus, or a nice vegetarian chili than these fake meat-like substances. Some of the veggie-burgers are not too bad - especially if loaded up with onion and tomato - if everyone else is having a burger and a vegetarian wants to feel part of the crowd, they can get a veggie burger.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I'm not a vegetarian, but I often eat vegetarian meals. There are so many great vegetables and great ways to cook them that I can't see the appeal of fake meats, which are never as good as the real ones.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

My wife and I go for real meat.
Steaks, hamburger, pork chops, chicken, ribs.
This summer we will get the gazebo grill and bar fired up for this and more by the pool.

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DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I guess the main question I would have is:

What do they add to the tofu to make it taste like meat?

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

I'll occasionally run out for a steak, too... or a large chunk of prime rib.

Dik

Hammer Loc: London UK

I had a vegetarian chicken curry a few days ago, it tasted like curried rubber.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

Beef broth?

Dik

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

The Ground Round is the only thing we've found that is OK.

Dik

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

There are two distinct differences in the 'Vegetarian' culture.
One is anti cruelty to animals so want a 'similar diet choice' but without animal products - hence fake burgers and ham etc. (but most animals would not exist if they were not used as food.
The other is the 'believer' in the 1950-1960's fad that a totally vegetarian diet is 'better for you'. Based upon the American studies of Japanese life expectancy. (Very little red meat and protein supplemented with bean and soy curd and an ageing population - not a great understanding of post war either)

Currently we have the fad of food 'without' certain ingredients like Gluten or salt. People rave about 'The Mediterranean' diet but we do not all have the Mediterranean lifestyle or DNA.

Diet is big business.....People are obsessed about what they put down their throat.....The medical profession has no single answer.....and 'one fit' does not work for the billions out there.

One thing is for sure....The supermarkets are coining it in when you consider how cheap loose vegetables are compared to meat and how 'less' is more expensive than 'normal portions'.