My 5-year journey as a vegetarian is going great. I’m quantitatively much healthier than I was before (despite my continued love of chocolates and desserts), and I’ve been surprised by how little I miss meat.
However, I’m not truly a vegetarian, because I occasionally eat fish. That’s perfectly fine–the label isn’t important to me–but it is something I think about from time to time. Going vegetarian wasn’t just about health for me; I’m also doing it for environmental and moral reasons, and just like other animals, fish are intelligent creatures.
So when I heard that my favorite fake steak company, Juicy Marbles, was introducing fake fish, I was very intrigued. They offer a “Kinda Cod” and a plant-based “salmon”, and I started with the cod.
The fish came pre-spiced, and I simply pan-seared it for a few minutes in avocado oil. The results were quite delicious: It’s kind of a mix between fish, chicken, and tofu. It absolutely scratched any itch I had for cooked fish. I wouldn’t eat it raw, so sushi will still be in my future from time to time, but I’m really glad this is an option when I’m craving seafood.
Have you tried anything like this? Where are you in your culinary/dietary journey?
Jamey,
This is fascinating and I’ll tell you, as an omnivore, I’ve met and personally know many vegans and vegetarians. The food for that world has changed dramatically over the past two decades. When I visited my daughter in Savannah, we went to a place called the Fox & Fig and my daughter had me order the Amazing Burger..it was amazing because it was completely vegetarian. When the waitress brought it, I was surprised how tasty it looked. After my first bite, I called her over and said, “you can tell me and I won’t tell anybody…this is actually really lean beef right?” She laughed, and replied, “No, it’ 100% vegetarian.” So, while I’m not giving up on meat anytime soon, I will tell you that I’ve definitely broadened my palate in recent years.
Cheers,
Joe
I’m glad you enjoyed the Amazing Burger! I’ve had lots of Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat, and I’m always curious about other fake meats. They’re not always healthier, but they often taste quite good. 🙂
Agreed – Juicy Marbles make absolutely knockout meat substitutes. I haven’t tried the fish yet, but their ribs and steaks are brilliant analogues to real meat. I’ve been vegan over 10 years but still maintain that meat is delicious, so these kinds of products are right up my street.