Can A “Rebellious & Innovative” Vegan Food Company Hold Up To The Hype? A Review

Whereas I watched the chilled host on the Macy’s Day Parade tv broadcast discuss Tofurky as a vegan Thanksgiving substitute, I can’t say I used to be enamored. A bit of too bland, a little bit too texture-challenged for me. However this month I had a proposal to check out VFC (Vegan Fried Chick*n), the corporate self-styled because the “world’s most rebellious and revolutionary vegan meals firm,” and I made a decision to offer their merchandise a attempt.

And why not? The corporate is on a mission to proceed to avoid wasting the chickens and put a cease to manufacturing facility farming. What higher time may or not it’s to help a brand new entry into the meat-free revolution than throughout this vacation season, with Thanksgiving morphing before-you-know-it into Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa? It made sense to see if this new various meals firm may match into the subsequent spherical of celebrations which might be so centered on sharing meals with those we love.

I feel it’s necessary to acknowledge efforts to cut back the climate impacts of agriculture, that are huge. The way in which we produce our meals is chargeable for one third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Shifting human diets from meat to plants means much less forest is destroyed for pasture and fodder rising and fewer emissions of the potent greenhouse gasoline, methane, are produced by cattle and sheep.

Through the years, I’ve seen many meat substitutes appear in freezer and fridge instances, and many them have light as a consequence of bland tastes, unusual textures, and out-of-reach bills. However within the final 2 years, an entire new sequence of plant-based meals has captured the curiosity and tastebuds of shoppers. The results of intensive meals engineering and culinary experience, these meals are making headlines.

Now a brand new vegan meals firm has come to the eye of CleanTechnica. The vegan meals firm’s press release says that VFC’s juicy and flavorful chick*n options present that the corporate doesn’t imagine in sacrificing chickens, however that…

“… doesn’t imply they’re keen to sacrifice on taste. Topped ‘Finest New Vegan Product’ by Veg Information earlier this yr, their extremely nutritious vegan staples use wheat protein, with a spice infused southern-fried crispy cornflake coating.”

I pre-heated the electrical oven to 375 levels then cooked every of the three choices for about 20 minutes. To spherical out the meal, I assembled a inexperienced facet salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I boiled brown rice pasta, dotting it upon serving with Earth Steadiness. Each have been innocuous facet dishes with flavors that might not compete with the brand new merchandise.

From the vegan firm’s description: “Vegan Fried Popcorn Chick*n made out of wheat protein in a southern fried and crispy corn flake coating.” Right here goes…

Let the Style Check Start!

Popcorn: This VFC choice has a crisp crust with a nice gentle spicing. Its delicate taste positively provides to the popcorn’s total style and texture. I dunked the popcorn kernels in hoisin sauce, which appeared like an excellent match. I may envision a giant bowl of those at a celebration, surrounded by small ramekins of dipping sauces — bleu cheese, scorching, ranch, sesame, barbecue. It was my household’s favourite merchandise of the three we have been provided to style take a look at, because of the ratio of spiced crust to filling. The menu suggestion for nachos within the image on the high of this web page seems to be prefer it additionally can be fairly inviting use of the product.

Bites: These are a barely bigger measurement in medallion form than the VFC Popcorn. The filling turns into extra central to the palette on this choice than it had been within the popcorn selection. I dunked it in peanut sauce, which tends towards a bit extra warmth than hoisin, and the Bites wanted that enhancement. It’s much less crunchy than the Popcorn, so it has much less of that delectable crust. I’d advocate including extra crust crunch to this choice.

Filet: That is the biggest portion measurement of the three objects, finest suited as an entree. Its style and texture fall midway between the Popcorn and Bites, because it has a bit extra crust than the Bites however lower than the Popcorn. I can think about it as a central merchandise in a sandwich with lettuce and tomato with vegan tartar on a giant outsized bun. The Filet was fairly filling, a meal in itself.

Total, the VFC (Vegan Fried Chick*n) Filet was nice with no aftertaste, very calmly flavored, not overpowering, truly a bit delicate. I really feel not one of the objects — Popcorn, Bites, or Filet — can stand alone; they want an accompanying sauce so as to add style curiosity. The corporate would possibly present small packets of appropriately matched sauces for buyer ease.

Would I purchase these VFC vegan meals? Positive, because the cornflake crust is an actual winner. Every of the merchandise would match into present recipes properly.

Is VFC, as proclaimed within the press launch, “essentially the most basic and nostalgic meal expertise that tastes and feels pretty much as good as conventional fried rooster?” Um, no, sorry. Conventional southern fried rooster has a actually thick and crunchy crust with an inside (albeit lifeless animal) protein that’s moist. Does this vegan meals firm have potential, although? Oh, yeah. The crust is already a winner, and, with continued refinements to extend its thickness throughout the Bits and Filets merchandise, it has actual potential to get near the memorable yummy fried rooster that Grandma made (earlier than we knew how dangerous it was for our well being).

One other level to be made on this vegan firm’s favor is that it’s incorporating an entire lot of actual greens into its product recipes. So usually, alternative meats get critiqued for being too chemical-based or processed.

“Our not so secret recipe: Water, canola oil, wheat protein (8.8%), maize, wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), wheat flour, wheat gluten, wheat starch, salt, soy protein isolate (1.4%), spices (incorporates mustard), garlic powder, flavoring (incorporates soy), onion powder, thickener (methylcellulose), pea starch, pea fibre, yeast extract, sugar, dextrose, potato starch, barley malt extract, herbs, celery, leek powder.”

Furthermore, numerous individuals assume that veggie food doesn’t have enough protein, that one should eat animals as a way to keep wholesome. This vegan meals firm affords merchandise comparatively excessive in protein — 19g of protein per 100g.

At a time when conglomerates are buying up alternative meat companies, it’s good to see one other set of plant-based meat and dairy merchandise obtainable to us, realizing that they’re better for human health and the environment than consuming meat — by far.

Picture offered by VFG

Recognize CleanTechnica’s originality and cleantech information protection? Think about turning into a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or a patron on Patreon.