Meat substitutes are available for those who don’t eat meat for ethical, religious, or health reasons. Soy and wheat are common bases, with a range of products available, including veggie burgers, tofu, and seitan. Asian markets offer creative options like mock duck and Buddha ham. Grain-based substitutes are also available and easy to make at home.
For people who don’t want to eat meat for ethical, religious or health reasons, there are a number of meat substitutes on the market. It may take some experimentation to find meat substitutes you like and figure out how to cook them, but you might be surprised at the range of delicious things you can cook up without much effort. Most markets have a vegetarian section that is stocked with meat substitutes, and you can find them at a health food store as well. Additionally, many Asian markets offer meat substitutes to cater to Buddhist customers, and it’s also possible to order mock meats directly, if you’re in an area with limited options.
The two most common bases for meat substitutes are wheat and soy. In some cases, other grains may be used, as is the case with grain burgers and some styles of tempeh. You can find meat substitutes that form into the shape of meat, such as veggie burgers and tofu dogs, and you can also find meat substitutes that are simply used as sources of protein, without pretending to be something they’re not. If you want to see some seriously creative meat substitutes, visit an Asian market for foods like mock duck, “Buddha ham,” and other amazing facsimiles of meat products that often taste and look eerily real.
Soy is one of the most used bases for meat substitutes. In addition to being high in protein, soy is also easy to handle and can be flavored and formed in a wide variety of ways. Soybeans can be fermented to make tempeh or pressed to make soy milk that can be coagulated into tofu and an assortment of fake meat products. Another meat substitute, textured vegetable protein, or TVP, is made from soybean meal. Soybeans are often full of flavors, which is why you can find soy chorizo for Mexican food, spicy Italian soy sausage, and Thai marinated tofu in the market.
The wheat is used to make seitan, a popular meat substitute in Asia. Seitan is made by rinsing the flour to leave the gluten, which can be molded into a variety of high-protein shapes. Seitan is used to make imitation chicken, mock roasts, mock duck, and a range of other foods. Some people prefer seitan over soy-based meat substitutes, as it has a chewy, stringy texture like real meats. Seitan also endures things like long roasting or boiling to make vegan “beef” and kale, pot roasts, pie pans, and an assortment of other comfort foods.
In some parts of the world, grain-based meat substitutes such as veggie burgers or tempeh with fermented grains are also readily available. These meat substitutes are also easy to make at home; you can experiment with the soaking and flavoring of your wheat patties if you like.
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