This bloody hamburger is made out of plants
CBC Radio | Posted: February 10, 2017 5:37 PM | Last Updated: February 10, 2017
There's a surprising new burger on the scene that looks, smells, tastes, and even bleeds like a beef patty, except it's made from plants.
Created by a team of food scientists in Silicon Valley, the Impossible Burger is said to be the tech industry's answer to the Big Mac.
But what's in it?
The Impossible Burger is made from wheat, coconut oil, potatoes, and one more special ingredient.
"Legume hemoglobin is what makes red med taste and smell like red meat," reveals David Lee, the COO of Impossible Foods.
"It's because it has the very same molecule in it, sourced from the plant, that is found in a burger from a cow."
Why put so much effort into making a veggie burger?
"The real reason why we spend all this time and effort is we wanted to make something as delicious as a burger from a cow, but that didn't contribute to the global warming we see," says David.
"We don't have the ability to feed our growing population on our planet with animal farming the way we currently do it."
Perhaps the tech sector can offer solutions that traditional food scientists cannot.
"We tend to think in food about the important incremental changes to make the product taste that 'x' percent better or be that 'y' percent cheaper," David says.
"I think that what the tech industry and what great entrepreneurs can bring to the table is radical thinking."
But will The Impossible Burger be able to win over meat-eaters?
"A vast majority of the folks who are showing up to our first four restaurants are meat-eaters," says David.
"Soon you'll hear about more and more restaurants that will be serving our products with hopes that they will be affordable and accessible to all. This is really just the beginning."