How does it taste?

With this article, I decided it was time to put myself to the test. It is easy to sit behind the safety of a computer screen and lecture you as a reader on the facts of this debate. But the truth is, I have not fully experienced all sides of the story. I put myself through a blind taste test of a burger made from ground beef harvested from livestock and a Beyond Burger.

I had never tasted an imitation patty before, let alone seen one in person. In order to better understand this topic, I decided to perform a blind taste test. I was curious to see what the eating experience would be for both patties with the absence of bias.

Unfortunately, this is where the excitement of the story ends. I hate to inform you, but the moment the burgers were set in front of me, I could tell which one was which. One patty was red in color while the other was a dark brown color. Both showed grill marks and smelled similar, but the color immediately alerted me to the differences.

To complete the test, I still tasted both burgers. The flavor of both patties was near identical, both savory and what one would expect from a burger. The true give away in the different patties was the texture. The Beyond Burger was much chewier than the ground beef burger, lacking the same consistency I found in the beef burger.

Biases aside, I still have to admit I preferred the beef-based burger over the Beyond Burger. I am not, however, too proud to admit both burgers would serve as a delicious and complete meal.

The satisfying eating experience is based on two characteristics: nutritional value and personal satisfaction. Glazier said people should eat what they believe tastes good and provides the nutrients their body needs. The most important thing, no matter which side you fall on in the great protein debate, is to understand and respect both sides of the story.