I'll step away from all the politics for a moment to briefly address a question I hear meat-eaters ask us vegetarians from time to time: "why would a vegetarian want to eat fake meat?" Why, these thoughtful souls wonder, would anyone who doesn't eat meat want to eat something that tastes or looks like meat, that is, all the simulated-meat products out there (from veggie burgers to Tofurkey to simulations of ground beef, chicken nuggets, ribs, etc.)?

Before getting to that, I have to set the proper context. Firstly, my dear carnivores, think for a moment--why do you like to eat real meat? Is it because it's meat? I highly doubt it. Do you enjoy a hamburger because it's a ground-up hunk of cow muscle? Or pepperoni on your pizza because it's a slice of pig tissue? Or your Thanksgiving turkey because it's a dismembered bird carcass? Perhaps a small percentage of hardcore weirdos actually do enjoy meat for those reasons, but I firmly believe, having been a meat eater for most of my life (up until 5 years ago), that people who eat meat enjoy it, not for the fact that it's meat, but because...are you ready for this? Because it tastes good. That it's slowly rotting animal flesh is incidental.

Thus, we have a disconnect. Meat eaters are seeking out an aesthetic experience which has very little to do with the reality of meat itself. If one attacks a live cow, pig, or chicken with a knife, slicing off chunks or tearing the flesh from the bone with one's teeth, the experience will be completely unlike what one gets with a burger, chicken sandwich, or pepperoni pizza. It would, in fact, disgust and horrify most otherwise gentle meat eaters. Only through extensive processing, transforming, seasoning, and often cosmetic steps as well, does meat become something that the average human carnivore "loves".

Now we've come back around and are only a short hop over to the vegetarian point of view. I eat "fake" hamburgers, sausage, bacon, chicken, dairy products, heck, even jerky. I do this because I like the taste, texture, and comfort of the overall aesthetic experience. It was initially a little odd to make the switch from the "real" thing (which I hope I've successfully shown to be, in fact, an artificial experience), but I adapted quickly and realized that I could get just as much satisfaction from the simulated items as the animal-based versions. That so much of our culture's experience of meat derives not from its origin, but a distant post-processed state, makes this leap eminently logical. The health benefits of avoiding meat, not to mention the way my conscience is lightened by not contributing to horrific suffering of animals and grotesque consumption of resources and pollution in industrial meat production, seals the deal.

And to address one final point that my carnivorous comrades may not fully appreciate, it's good to remember that not all vegetarians or vegans are in it for the same reasons. Some are in it for the principle that it's wrong to kill living beings for food, that all creatures have a right to self-determination and do not "belong" to us. Others believe that humans are biologically unsuited for digesting meat. Still others, like me, believe that while it's perfectly natural biologically for us to eat meat, contributing to the wholly destructive and polluting meat industry is an unethical act. And some people have health problems or food allergies which make avoiding meat a necessity.

The point is that there are many different ways to look at this issue, and many different motivations and ideals behind actions that may seem a bit odd to the unquestioning mainstream culture. The next time you contemplate why things like Tofurkey and soy cheese exist, consider your own basic assumptions and what you're taking for granted.

And I really recommend those Quorn patties. They give the answer to what mycoprotein tastes like: "chicken."

Labels: Culture