5 ms·

Silicon Valley gets a taste for food

34 points by e15ctr0n 12y ago

mc32 12y ago
This is pretty cool. If I were the developers I'd deemphasize the moral/ethical aspect of meat eating. That does not sell for the larger pop. On the other hand sustainability and being able to feed a growing population is a pretty compelling reason. Regarding flavor, I've heard, but not tried, that green beans strung out to dry she rehydrated can taste beefy. I think it'll be interesting to see if lab grown protein or plant based substitutes becomes the favorite substitute for animal protein.
- tashoecraft 12y ago
  That will be interesting. It seems plant based substitutes are far closer to mass production, but for many it still won't be close enough to meat. I love hampton creeks Just Mayo as it has completely replaced real mayo for me. While I understand the reasoning behind using the name Soylent, I don't know if they should have attached themselves to Soylent Green. I also wonder how your metabolism would adjust if instead of eating lunch, you drink Soylent for 4 hours as a replacement.
bootload 12y ago
"make sustainable versions of meat and dairy products from plants" Is this a replay of making margarine to replace butter? I can't read the article (paywall) but I question the profit motive to try and re-invent farming using technology alone. Do we need a Microsoft of food?
gdubs 12y ago
Our grocery store started to carry Beyond Meat. Much better than the Morning Star equivalent. Texture is pleasant. Less mushy. Taste is versatile.
- bhayden 12y ago
  Do you find it to actually be a plausible substitute for chicken/beef?
  - gdubs 12y ago
    For the chili I make, yes. I've also used it for tacos. And in a red sauce for pasta. It has the right texture for those dishes.
shalmanese 12y ago
These startups are cool but it gets really exciting when companies move beyond slavishly copying existing flavors and textures into making whole new tastes out of whole cloth. I'd love to see a new fake animal mean for instance. In the entire possibility space of meat tastes, there must surely be amazing pockets we've yet discovered. Something as different from beef is as beef is from pork. Or find existing animals that taste great but can't be grown on any large scale. A cruelty-free faux gras, for example, would be amazing!

34 points by e15ctr0n 12y ago

mc32 12y ago

This is pretty cool. If I were the developers I'd deemphasize the moral/ethical aspect of meat eating. That does not sell for the larger pop. On the other hand sustainability and being able to feed a growing population is a pretty compelling reason. Regarding flavor, I've heard, but not tried, that green beans strung out to dry she rehydrated can taste beefy. I think it'll be interesting to see if lab grown protein or plant based substitutes becomes the favorite substitute for animal protein.

tashoecraft 12y ago
That will be interesting. It seems plant based substitutes are far closer to mass production, but for many it still won't be close enough to meat. I love hampton creeks Just Mayo as it has completely replaced real mayo for me. While I understand the reasoning behind using the name Soylent, I don't know if they should have attached themselves to Soylent Green. I also wonder how your metabolism would adjust if instead of eating lunch, you drink Soylent for 4 hours as a replacement.

bootload 12y ago

"make sustainable versions of meat and dairy products from plants" Is this a replay of making margarine to replace butter? I can't read the article (paywall) but I question the profit motive to try and re-invent farming using technology alone. Do we need a Microsoft of food?

gdubs 12y ago

Our grocery store started to carry Beyond Meat. Much better than the Morning Star equivalent. Texture is pleasant. Less mushy. Taste is versatile.

bhayden 12y ago
Do you find it to actually be a plausible substitute for chicken/beef?
- gdubs 12y ago
  For the chili I make, yes. I've also used it for tacos. And in a red sauce for pasta. It has the right texture for those dishes.

shalmanese 12y ago

These startups are cool but it gets really exciting when companies move beyond slavishly copying existing flavors and textures into making whole new tastes out of whole cloth. I'd love to see a new fake animal mean for instance. In the entire possibility space of meat tastes, there must surely be amazing pockets we've yet discovered. Something as different from beef is as beef is from pork. Or find existing animals that taste great but can't be grown on any large scale. A cruelty-free faux gras, for example, would be amazing!