Is 'Vegetarian Meat' A Misnomer?

[Waldo 96]

Someone was talking about “vegetarian meat” the other day. The term seems misleading. Okay to say “fake meat” or “meat substitute” etc, but “vegetarian meat” to my mind seems incorrect.

 

It’s hardly the issue of the century, but it does seem like an inaccurate and misleading use of language. What do you think?

[smithy266 21]

Why do vegetarians need to eat food that is made to look like meat? Fake burgers, fake sausages etc...Why!

[Waldo 96]

1 minute ago, smithy266 said:

Why do vegetarians need to eat food that is made to look like meat? Fake burgers, fake sausages etc...Why!

Well, that’s a separate (but related) issue.

 

I don’t know, I’d much prefer authentic vegetarian food, than wannabe meat vegetarian food. Once went to a wannabe meat veggie restaurant in Sheffield, and food definitely wasn’t to my liking. I’m not a vegetarian though.

[Pyrotequila 403]

Best one of these I've seen recently is in a supermarket.

 

Birdseye Meat-free Meatballs.

 

So, not meatballs then....just...balls?

[max 13]

27 minutes ago, smithy266 said:

Why do vegetarians need to eat food that is made to look like meat? Fake burgers, fake sausages etc...Why!

Same reason meat eaters eat burgers and sausages I'd guess, it's a convenient way of preparing and eating food.

Plus, have you ever seen an animal that looks like a burger or sausage, hardly authentic looking meat is it?

[Waldo 96]

I certainly don't think something called "vegetarian meat" is any kind of actual meat; and doubt anyone would (unless, to their knowledge, it's been contaminated with actual meat at some point).

 

I just think the name is factually incorrect, from a literal point of view. It's not any kind of meat, and could only accurately be called "non meat" "faux meat" "pretend meat" "vegetarian meat substitute" etc etc.

 

Of course, it can be inaccurately called anything that it is not.

 

Right, I'm going to go find something more profitable to get my knickers in a twist about.

 

Have a nice day!

[geared 317]

7 hours ago, CaptainSwing said:

or that a chocolate mouse has an actual mouse inside it (unless they're at a Heston Blumenthal restaurant perhaps).

a chocolate mousse?

 

  

7 hours ago, CaptainSwing said:

nobody thinks that Robertson's Mincemeat has got actual meat in it

Historically mincemeat did contain meat, and some brands do still use meat products like beef suet.

Robertson's switched to vegetable suet, I assume to give it a broader appeal, Miceveg/fruit doesn't have the same ring to it tho. 

[kevvy 12]

😁

22 hours ago, max said:

Same reason meat eaters eat burgers and sausages I'd guess, it's a convenient way of preparing and eating food.

Plus, have you ever seen an animal that looks like a burger or sausage, hardly authentic looking meat is it?

A pig looks sausage like ish ! With a bit of imagination. !

23 hours ago, smithy266 said:

Why do vegetarians need to eat food that is made to look like meat? Fake burgers, fake sausages etc...Why!

I've often thought that myself ??🤔

Edited May 11, 2020 by kevvy

[Lockjaw 11]

On 10/05/2020 at 10:00, smithy266 said:

Why do vegetarians need to eat food that is made to look like meat? Fake burgers, fake sausages etc...Why!

How's about somebody who really likes meat but doesn't like the idea of animals needing to be killed for their eating pleasure?

[altus 540]

2 hours ago, kevvy said:

A pig looks sausage like ish ! With a bit of imagination. !

There's a bit of most male animals that looks like a sausage with even less imagination.

 

Keep in mind that most of the fake meat products are aimed at those trying to reduce the amount of meat they eat or those who've recently switched to a meat free diet - it means they have something more familiar to eat. Personally, I'd rather just have a bean burger than a fake meat one.

 

I once knew someone who would be horrified if you suggested he go vegetarian but wouldn't eat anything that looked like it came from an animal. He was just about OK with mince, but anything more resembling flesh than that he wouldn't touch. He'd probably avoid those 'realistic' fake meat burgers that use beetroot juice to imitate rare cooked meat burgers.

[Waldo 96]

Maybe people are subconsciously craving meat, and this drives them to purchase and eat fake meat? Presumably, you can be ethically against meat, but still physically crave it?

[altus 540]

12 minutes ago, Waldo said:

Maybe people are subconsciously craving meat, and this drives them to purchase and eat fake meat? Presumably, you can be ethically against meat, but still physically crave it?

I think that's unlikely. It's more a familiar taste/smell/texture thing. Tie that in with people wanting something easy to cook and food manufacturers wanting products that will appeal to as many people as possible (and so producing vegetarian/vegan food that appeals to meat eaters too) and you end up with a lot of fake meat products.