Have been almost completly vegetarian for the last 4 and a half years and was pretty much a carnivore before that, so I feel this is as unbiased of an opinion as is possible.
The Beyond, Gardien, Impossible, etc fake chicken have more flavor, nearly indistinguishable texture, are just as juicy, and aren’t greasy. At this point, I consider them better than regular chicken with the sole exception of fried chicken which was never my favorite but I can see the appeal of it.
I’ll concede that the beef substitutes have a ways to go (I like them and they’re not bad but they’re not fooling anyone, either) but they’re not the subject of this opinion.
Hard agree, but that’s probably I’m only used to the ‘plofkip’ variety. ‘Plofkip’ is a Dutch word which roughly translate as ‘Exploding chicken’, which is chickens that are raised at an unnatural rate. After being um… processed, the meat is commonly injected with water as well. That stuff smells vile and the taste is mediocre at best. It is also almost physically impossible to burn it while cooking because of the water content.
I would not know what a chicken would taste like if it had had an actual life. I am told, it is a world of difference, but I would buy the vegetarian or vegan alternative anyway.
I raise my own meat chickens (cornish cross). They see sunlight and get fresh pasture at least two times per day (chicken tractor). They eat bugs, worms, frogs, and grass, and anything else they might encounter, as well as meat bird food.
They taste much better than the factory birds you can buy at grocery stores. I dont know that i would describe the taste as “a world of difference,” but definitely much better.
Plofkip sounds terrible.