[WhompingWindows]

Forget ethics, think of taste vs value vs health: can they make meatless burgers taste as good as regular burgers, while being cheaper or healthier? Or can they taste BETTER than regular burgers, while being equally expensive or equally unhealthy?

[Balgair]

Long term (10+ years?), I think these plant-based meats are the future. These early/middle stages are important, just like any product, and they'll find their fit in a crowded grocery store.

They are likely to be much healthier than meat (barring some real fun CRISPR gymnastics).

They can taste however you'd want them to taste. Think, Captain America 5 burgers, exclusively at Burger King. It'll taste like the best beefiest burger more so than real beef can. Sauces can help, but the underlying burger still has to hold up.

They're likely to be much cheaper as patents expire and 'store brand' burgers get out there. The competition will drive the price to near the cost of the ingredients, which I think are much cheaper than feeding the animal the ingredients for a few years and then eating the animal.

They're more resilient to shocks in the supply chain compared to animals (mad cow, hurricanes, climate change, etc).

They have a much broader market base than animals due to ethical and religious restrictions.

Barring some medical report that says they give you super-cancer, I think the product is just better suited to the marketplace.

[asdff]

I don't think it's possible nor prioritized. Decades of artificial flavoring pale in comparison to the real thing, and mass produced cultivars are preferred over odd looking yet tastier heirlooms. The food industry knows they only need to hit close enough because the vast majority of consumers buy the cheapest version possible at the grocery store.

As for the physics of a good burger, a lot of that comes from animal fat, blood, sinew, firm and tender tissues. There are some plant based options that are attempting to replicate the blood component, and ground meat is certaintly a more forgiving medium as far as texture.

Even with the existing meatless market, however, the economics are a tough bet for a lot of people. I tried out a vegan clone of In n out that opened in the neighborhood. At $12, it's 3x the price of a double double, and patty was ok but mostly just tasted like something deep fried. The real sting, and this goes for most vegan and vegetarian food I eat beyond ethnic food, $12 left me feeling hungry. The portions, the taste, and the price all combine into this perfect storm that puts off a lot of meat-eating consumers from taking up vegetarian food more regularly.