Fake beef burger, anyone?

DUBAI — A new kind of burger is revolutionising the way we eat. The Beyond Burger was first brought to Dubai by Bareburger in May 2018, but now numerous establishments have added it to their menus. A Beyond Burger patty is designed to ‘look, cook and satiate’ but without any animal byproducts. Its ingredients include pea protein, yeast extract, coconut oil and beetroot juice (for colour), making ‘plant-based meat’ that is vegan and cruelty-free.

Over the last year, the demand and supply has skyrocketed. According to food delivery company Zomato, 54 UAE restaurants now serve Beyond Meat foods while, a year ago, that number was almost zero. The recent Amazon rainforest fires further ignited conversations on how consumption habits are affecting our planet. In that sense, plant-based meats may be key to change. As Max Marsh of The Plant Code Podcast puts it, “If you’ve been following a plant-based diet, you aren’t used to the texture and heaviness of meat. Faux meats can help non-vegetarians transition towards vegetarian diets.”

So, how does the taste compare to the real thing? Max swears that the first time he bit into a Beyond Burger, the taste was so much like meat that he, as a vegan, almost spat it out. Food blogger Sana Chikhalia, who tasted the burger while travelling, agrees that the texture and taste is almost like meat. “If you’re convinced it’s not going to be as good as the real thing, then it won’t work.” It looks like the jury is still out on this trend.