Being a Phony

I never understood fake meat. My reasoning was that by consuming fake meat, vegans and vegetarians confirm the fact that meat is both delicious and desirable. That our bodies crave and are pleased by meat serves as proof that we are supposed to eat it. I thought that if these herbivores wanted to buck nature by forsaking flesh, they should just go whole hog and avoid all imitators as well. But after a little over two weeks without meat, I finally appreciate why these replacements are so popular. I hadn't felt full and satisfied for a long time, and had an almost intuitive feeling the lack of solid, meaty protein was the cause. So I went to Whole Foods and, along with a few portobellos, purchased the latest and greatest gourmet vegan meat.


Here it is, all-natural and plucked straight from the meatloaf tree. The outside gives the appearance of some sort of ham product, while the gray interior and "stuffing" suggest sausage. I decided to fry some up and ate it like a hamburger with some onions and an olive tapenade.


As far as quality is concerned, I had some trouble eating the whole thing. When I concentrated on the smell and the taste coming from that slab of vegetable mass, I started to lose my appetite. But taste was not the most important aspect of the meal, but rather texture. Even though I was fully cognizant my sausage(?) was fake, the impression that it was meat was enough to keep me satisfied. Kind of.