Agriculture This Week: We still have a taste for beef

YORKTON - Ultimately, business decisions always have an expected profit factor to them. Companies might advertise a good game about reducing their carbon footprints, reducing fossil fuels, using more recycled products, or reducing single use plastics, which are all commendable, but they are doing such things in hopes of stimulating sales.

Right now being environmentally aware is very much good business, and that is exiting in terms of maybe improving the future of our planet, but companies are more apt to take the plunge into ‘being green’ because the public is supportive – meaning more sales.

And, that brings me to plant-based meat.

At this time there is no denying there is substantial interest in meat replacement options.

There is a reason a number of well-known fast food chains are offering plant-based non-meat burgers on their menus, and it’s simply because they think they will sell.

Now while I personally have no issue with ‘real’ meat options, for those wanting to live a vegan lifestyle that’s fine too. How others live should not generally be of concern so what others eat is one of those things.

Yet, I can’t help but see some irony in the idea of plant-based meat alternatives.

A lot of effort is being put into determining what concoction of plant proteins, flavour additives, and other ingredients mix up to ultimately taste as much like a beef burger as possible.

That the goal is to taste like beef for people not wanting to eat beef says a great deal about the culture we come from. While there is some trending away from it, we have long been meat eaters here. There is a reason there are a number of fast food burger chains – we like our hamburgers.

By contrast beef is not a food on most tables in India – to the point it against the religion of many, which often influences food choices from traditionally eating fish on Fridays for some and no pork for others based solely on their faith.

In India plant-based protein is very much the norm.

Go into an East Indian restaurant and the menu is filled with options which feature chickpeas, beans and in particular lentils. They are all excellent protein sources but are consumed without being ground into flour and mixed in a vat to created a meat alternative.

But, since we have traditionally ate a lot of beef, and pork and chickens, there is still a desire by many who are turning away from eating meat, to find the same ‘taste/flavour’ elsewhere – which is of course the ironic aspect of the plant-based meat movement.

A really tasty red lentil dahl or chana masala ultimately sounds like a better option when I’m not in the mood for meat.