Is Hamburg on the verge of extinction?

I liked thinner patties for a while, and sometimes thicker ones. There was a time when cheddar cheese was popular in burgers, and then Roquefort was popular. The sesame-sprinkled buns gave way to English muffins, and the ketchup was replaced by other specialty sauces that were even more over-the-top—god save me—guacamole.

But no matter where it comes from, or what seasoning it uses, the burger is here to stay with me - I was pretty sure.

until now.

A few days ago I came across a news from that mentioned that McDonald's is testing a plant-based faux meat patty that is about to hit stores near your home. They call it a "McPlant burger"—an unheard of McDonald's oxymoron. And McDonald's has fallen behind in this competition. Burger King has been selling a meatless version of the "Impossible Whopper" (Impossible Whopper) since 2019. Dunkin' Donuts has been selling a "Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich" around the same time

Meanwhile, Bill Gates kept telling anyone who would sit down and listen to him, He invested in a "pretty amazing" startup. The company uses a denatured protein produced by a highly adaptable fungus to make faux patties, faux meatballs, and various vegan versions of dairy products. Over the past few weeks, he has been on my Time colleague Kara Swisher's podcast called "Sway," and an interview with Rolling Stone discuss these.

And on 's '60 Minutes' show , he joined Anderson Cooper on a yogurt made by the startup called Nature's Fynd. The latter gives the yogurt a rave review: "Oh, this is delicious."

This is our future: not meatless - at least not anytime soon - but certainly less meat. I have no doubts about this. This is an inevitable chain reaction caused by vigilance against climate change, and animal husbandry is one of the main culprits of climate change . (Gates' idea of ​​a meatless push came about in the context described in his new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.)

That's the moral code behind the wheatgrass, and The principles upheld by the natural true choice company. This company's story is more than a fable of innovation and imagination, it is part of the growing push for alternative protein sources and their fast-growing market demand.

In the short time since Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat introduced the now ubiquitous burger meat alternative, a gold rush for faux meat has been set off . "Private investment, government investment, researchers in the field, startups, alternative protein development plans announced by meat companies in the market: all of these were flat four or five years ago," said a company promoting meat alternatives. said Liz Specht, director of research at the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit that produces products. "Then we saw the classic hockey stick sharp turn up."

This transformation is taking place in parallel on three main tracks, then united by their actions to eliminate livestock slaughter - and livestock's huge carbon footprint - by changing cooking practices.

With Impossible Foods and Beyond The first track, represented by meat companies, focuses on improving plant-based products so that they taste better and better, so that they can provide the pleasure of eating meat. Agriculture and the pressure it puts on the natural environment is their focus. Core.

And what Specht calls "cultured meat", or other meat grown from animal stem cells , is on another track entirely. But as it stands, it's still an expensive and Uncertain research direction.

The natural choice, which has already attracted $160 million in investment, falls into the third track: Fermentation-derived proteins made from microorganisms such as fungi can imitate meat, cheese, cream or dairy. Regardless of cost, This track is arguably the most exciting in terms of adaptability, environmental friendliness, and untapped possibilities. Microbes are eagerly waiting to feed us.

Registered by Nature's True Choice as The trademarked protein named "Fy" actually comes from Yellowstone Park. Did you know that this natural park is a geographically and ecologically heterogeneous ? Do you know that as an extreme environment, it breeds these A tenacious organism with unlimited potential if it can survive in it? I didn't know it. Years ago, he was investigating hot springs and other water bodies in the park, looking for an "extremophile" that could become a biofuel. The result was some unclassified fungi with edible potential.

The fungus has since been named Fusarium strain flavolapis - Flavo lapis is Latin for "Yellowstone". Natural True Choice obtained its commercial use rights from the federal government through a benefit-sharing agreement. The company will fund ongoing research into Yellowstone. Kozubal is now the company's chief scientist.

When the fungus grows through a patented fermentation method of natural selection, it forms rectangular blocks of Fy that look like like a big, thick lasagna . Fy can be ground, diluted with water, made into soft or liquid food, or shaped into blocks, cakes, balls, or other shapes.

"It has the texture we want and the protein ingredients we need, but at the same time it serves as a blank canvas for food scientists and chefs to make into the final product," Kozubal told me . And they're produced on racks stacked on pallets—which happen to be in a warehouse on the Chicago Meatpacking complex—which requires far less space and water than conventional farming.

Last month, Natural True Choice launched a direct-to-order breakfast combo that includes an imitation sausage patty and an imitation cream cheese for $14.99. The product was sold out quickly and is preparing to return to supermarket shelves later this year, and may be joined by other products - maybe yogurt, maybe meatballs. If the market is good then, they will continue to expand production on this basis. There may be a burger product coming soon.

"There's a lot of potential here," Spechter told me of fermentation-derived proteins.She also adds that while they've actually been around for a while - a British company, Quorn, has been making them for decades - the field's take-off has only just begun. For example, Meati Foods, Mycorena and Prime Roots are all developing or selling products in this area.

But given the long-standing love of many humans (myself included) for meat derived from animals, do these alternatives have any chance of making strides in the short term? Natural Choice CEO Thomas Jonas said a significant shift in the share of the U.S. beverage market proved it was possible.

"Ten to 15 years ago, drinks like soy milk or almond milk were supposed to be sold in health stores, or just for those green freaks or hippies, right?" he said. Now, not only do these two drinks feature prominently on the shelves of every supermarket I visit, I can't even find a coffee shop that lacks either of them. Jonas said no one could have foreseen such a situation before

He also added that there is a clear awareness of environmental degradation, our own impact on the environment and the impact of our personal actions on public health.

Coronavirus may have accelerated this awakening. Jonas said that an online survey of U.S. customers conducted by Natural Choice before the pandemic showed that when asked if they would like to try the food they were making, only 50 percent of those surveyed said they would. A few months into the pandemic, that number rose to 66 percent.

But acceptance of fermented-derived proteins is one thing, actually eating them normally is quite another - it all depends on how they taste.I asked Jonas for a sample, and he sent me Natural Choice versions of cream cheese, savory meatballs, sausage patties, and chocolate mousse.

Except for the cream cheese, everything else impressed me. Not because they perfectly reproduce real food, but because they have their own rich taste and appeal. Eating these, I felt as if I was doing good without paying anything.

Such considerations are attracting some Subway customers to the "Beyond Meatball Red Sauce Sandwich" and some White Castle fast-food regulars to the "Impossible Sandwich" sold here ( Impossible Slider). It also directed Ben & Jerry's to launch a non-dairy frozen dessert named "Change the Whirled" named after Colin Kaepernick, and a growing number of The vegetarian seafood alternative product is available.

These are all pulling me away from my beloved hamburger. I can't imagine that our rich, juicy, dipping relationship will ever come to an end, but the passion has certainly diminished.