How Impossible Meat is Actually Made

So what is Impossible Meat actually made of? When it comes to creating vegetarian meat substitutes, flavor is only one hurdle-smell and texture are also major factors, and scientists have been making breakthroughs on creating a convincing meatless meat experience.
For this episode of SciShow, we have our hosts do a blind taste test, to see if they can tell the difference between real and fake meat! Join us!
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Hosted by: Hank Green
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Sources:
Chapter 6 “Umami flavour of meat” by J. A. Maga. Flavor of Meat and Meat Products F. Shahidi (ed.), Chapman & Hall 1994
Nonmeat Protein Alternatives as Meat Extenders and Meat Analogs by Md. Ali Asgar et al. published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, August 2010
impossiblefoods.com/burgerking/
www.wired.com/2002/04/a-mushr...
www.researchgate.net/profile/...
books.google.com/books?hl=en&...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edude...
www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/di...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/ab...
www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/...
www.ebi.ac.uk/interpro/entry/...
www.sciencefriday.com/article...
www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
www.npr.org/templates/story/s...
prdupl02.ynet.co.il/ForumFiles...
library.open.oregonstate.edu/a...
library.open.oregonstate.edu/a...
www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj...
www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/ab...
slate.com/technology/2012/07/...
aaccipublications.aaccnet.org...
science.sciencemag.org/conten...
krex.k-state.edu/dspace/bitst...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
repositori.udl.cat/bitstream/...
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Images:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
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commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

[@SciShow]

Get your first audiobook and 2Audible originals free when you try Audible for 30 days visit www.audible.com/scishow or text ‘scishow’ to 500 500!

[@jjhggdcqz]

I personally really want cultured meat to be available soon.

[@Xcizior]

Hey, you! this video was fun and engaging. please do more content like this:]

[@willelmore2094]

you might not know but there is a mushroom in WV called hen and chicken of the woods that taists looks and feels like chicken when deep fryed you cant tell it isnt chicken

[@kehwa]

K. I'm gonna go eat some meat now...

[@apple54345]

@@Xcizior Agreed. I enjoyed this style of video.

[@Toastmaster_5000]

As an omnivore, I don't really see what the big deal is of an imitation meat that doesn't match the real thing 100%. I'm perfectly fine with something that's maybe 80% similar if it still tastes good, isn't expensive, and might actually be healthier.

[@jeromeorji1057]

Agreed. Don't understand why some people get very particular about how it compares to the real thing.

[@UntakenNick]

Why would it be healthier? Or healthy at all?

[@dwightehowell8179]

@@UntakenNick Good question.

[@user-cw9lf3gl6x]

I eat filler-filled chicken nuggets like at least once a week. If it taste good, and it's cheap, I'll eat it.

[@choo_choo_]

@@sasilik Just because you can't cook anything besides microwaved hot-pockets doesn't mean there's not a need for different varieties of ingredients. Some people like different things other than the same 3 meals on rotation every week.

[@Arafor]

I like how their tests devolved into "That one looks terrible, it must be real."

[@harrietharlow9929]

I've been there with some of the earlier substitutes lol.

[@mati.benapezo]

In Hack My Life they do the same with coffee, latte, alcohol and other stuff.

[@genisay]

Scientific process right there. XD

[@MrDavidBFoster]

I LOVE an ugly sandwich!

[@philalethistry7937]

"It doesn't look like anything recognizable" "Well, that's just how chicken nuggets work" lol

[@amberhawksong]

Ikr XD

[@Lumberjack_king]

well your not wrong

[@harrietharlow9929]

@@Lumberjack_king Nope she's not.

[@nswanberg]

Some Parts Are Meat

[@pete_nana]

Hank’s so upbeat while saying, “This would be great! Because I can’t eat scallops or I’ll die!”

[@TonusStoneshield]

Hank in a nutshell this ep, "This food tastes trashy and microwaved. . . I love it."

[@TheReZisTLust]

"You're not a vegatarian are you?" *Oh hell no.*

[@moosemaimer]

Jamie Oliver once did a bit where he showed kids how chicken nuggets are made, throwing organs and bones and everything else into a blender and pureeing it into a slurry, which grossed them all out; but once he had breaded and deep-fried it the kids went crazy for them, leaving him standing there, defeated.

[@imduc2]

@@moosemaimer it goes to show we eat with our eyes

[@neomt2]

@@moosemaimer he didn't show them the baby chicks ground alive for those nuggets (sadly not joking)

[@sdfkjgh]

Mystomachhurt: Which begs the question, how well would a bonemeal be as a flour substitute? (Fe fi fo fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman! Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread!)

[@reklessbravo2129]

My bro had a "I can't eat scallops or I'll die, so I can have a Fake one!" moment recently. Watching someone with severe peanut allergies eat something that looks exactly like a Reese's cup is really freaking weird

[@NathanaelDuke]

The almond butter cups are amazing!

[@jamesmerkel1932]

You can use sunbutter to make a faux reeses cheesecake.

[@andreahl3494]

Kind the same with me. I haven't had an egg for years because os severe allergies too sp I bought some black himalayan salt. The taste is really similar and something that eased my cravings.

[@icarusbinns3156]

I could eat shrimp again? And not have it partially kill me. Must find

[@EnchWraits]

Imagine he's allergic to the taste compounds xD

[@timothygreer188]

Hey Hank. Scallops gave me severe hives and sent me into anaphylaxis once so I avoided them most of my life. Turns out it was the sodium tripolyphosphate used in "wet scallops" that tried to kill me. I needed to test what foods I was actually allergic to for working as a chef. After my results, the allergist did a food challenge with me. I had a micro amount increased every 15 minutes for 3 hours under clinical supervision. Thanks to SCIENCE! I can eat "dry scallops" aka the expensive ones at nice restaurants or fresh off the boat. Worth checking out

[@wglenbatemanjr9729]

Cool deal chef! Good knowledge, thanks ✌️

[@willdwyer6782]

My mom is allergic to shrimp, lobster, and crab. I've heard it usually has something to do with the iodine present in crustaceans, which is why they used to ask people if they have a seafood allergy when they used iodine contrast for x-rays. I've never asked her if she's allergic to crayfish, which live in freshwater.

[@emilymartin5806]

I work in genetic research and I gotta say the idea that we are currently able to grow muscle tissues from donor cells isn't that revolutionary. I would definitely try it, all the taste and no cruelty! As much as I love bacon and bbq, the meat industry is horrifying.

[@JellyAntz]

What if they give the cows good lives and find a way to turn the toxic gases they release into a new fuel source?

[@emilymartin5806]

@@JellyAntz How would they collect all the gases without them being released into the air?

[@JellyAntz]

Emily Martin i thought that the cows were crammed in enclosed facilities, and even if it is open, there should be some sort of filter system to collect all the gas or a huge amount. And there is a lot of poop on the ground that is bad for the environment when it rains, so collecting that and making something useful out of that is a start.

[@JellyAntz]

@@professorfrog7181 I don't eat steak often, I have it seldom. This was from 5 months ago, damn. I literally just said that *I THOUGHT* cows are crammed in enclosed facilities, and I said cows should have good lives, there is no "pick one" from two separate statements.

[@bbbbbbbbbbbrbbrb]

@@JellyAntz that literally isn't possible

[@Strothy2]

20 min video... oh boi it's christmas

[@TheLunaLockhart]

20 minutes and not even a compilation, pretty cool!

[@candyazz28]

Oh you're a nerd. And don't you dare say I watched the video too.

[@confusedwhale]

Nor is it a podcast either. Those ones are disappointing.

[@kaylamarie2242]

The longer the better!!

[@gutspraygore]

The visual component of a food's appetizing qualities has been explored for a long time. In a study conducted in 1960 the theory was tested using normal breakfast proteins and the results published in a paper by Dr. Suess et al titled "Green Eggs and Ham". It's a fascinating read.

[@emeraldemperor2601]

hahaha

[@SurprisedPikacheesecake]

This comment is vastly underrated.

[@kidkruschev]

Benjamin P. It’s the fourth highest comment .... third if you don’t count SciShows own pinned comment.

[@Mikedragon83]

This comment went over a lot of people’s heads! 🤣👍

[@dave900575]

I made green eggs and Spam once. The scrambled eggs came out such an awful color I lost my appetite and couldn't eat them.

[@admireinspire]

Whats hilarious is how accurate this is. Most consumers cant tell at all but when they think it may be something else they make excuses why its nasty or bad or they dont like it when they were perfectly enjoying everything before they knew. I see this with my family and friends all the time. Its exhausting.

[@MrDavidBFoster]

This is why I have trouble living entirely on Oscar Mayer wieners.. As long as I keep telling myself it's Filet Mignon, I'm good; but the minute I admit to myself that it's really just ground up snouts, I'm done!

[@kylefer]

You might personally enjoy it but that doesn't excuse what you're doing to your body by eating it.

[@admireinspire]

@@kylefer by eating potato and pea protein instead of saturated fat and cholesterol?🤣 I'll take my chances

[@kylefer]

@@admireinspire I recommend you do more research, or take some classes on nutrition.

[@admireinspire]

@@kylefer spent 10 years in school for data analysis. Used that to review the research. Would recommend you do the same.

[@alicedeathbelle]

I cooked up this random frozen meal the other week and only realised it wasn’t real a real chicken dish when I was almost finished. I was amazed at how good it tasted, I literally had to check the packet to make sure I wasn’t crazy and that it was in fact fake meat.

[@MagicianFairy]

There's no reason to season a chicken nugget. *Proceeds to dip it into BBQ sauce*

[@Orphican]

17:23 He's eating the imitation nuggets. I guess they got some pretty crap real nuggets for this test if the imitation is more appealing to anyone except a vegan!

[@truedarkness4052]

@@Orphican I've had friends who aren't vegan eat morningstar nuggets and thought they tasted good. Imitation isn't always the goal.

[@HyperSpify]

Haven't you heard? Sugar and everything with sugar in it isn't considered a seasoning in America. It's like air or water.

[@artstsym]

It's Sweet Baby Ray's. Can't turn that down.

[@vivientakacs5599]

@@Orphican For real. I have eaten so many types of fake meat foods and I hated all of them. Like ugh no thanks. They taste horrible. Id be better off eating plain grass

[@penguindrummaster]

Between the puns, and getting the cast all on set and being themselves, this is probably my favorite SciShow episode ever. Keep up the good work!

[@apple54345]

agreed. loved it. would have liked michael there too.

[@penguindrummaster]

apple54345 totally agree. Michael is an awesome host, and would have loved to see his take

[@KnightRaymund]

oh yeah, great episode. I like them all taste testing together

[@Huzzahgamers_inc]

Agreed

[@thatone2297]

I think it would be nice if they did videos together more often.

[@Sexiraina1993]

Last time I ate fake meat I ended up in the hospital. They use a lot of mushrooms to try to make things taste like meat. And I’m super allergic to mushrooms. I didn’t know I was eating fake meat. And since it was a new food I asked if there were mushrooms on it. I was told no. Anyway. I’d be happy to eat a plant based diet. Just not fake versions of other foods.

[@user-wl8rr7wb4y]

Hence the reason why I insist on reading the ingredients thoroughly before purchasing.

[@brassen]

i just hope they can get past the nugget/burger stage of '"foods" so it becomes an actual alternative.

[@noname-zp1yh]

Same, personaly I'm waiting for good vegan steak.

[@CorbiniteVids]

there's been some good progress, in the extrusion process especially. In a lot of asian markets you can buy dry mock duck and then rehydrate and season it at home. If you get the right blend of flavors (which is way easier for birds than mammals, especially if you get your hands on some good fermented or cultured flavors) it's genuinely startling. I've served it to people and they'd have had no idea if I hadn't overcooked it (and told them too cause I didn't know their allergies). It's an option a lot of americans don't know about because it's not widely advertised, and it's pretty cost effective too

[@larissabrglum3856]

Imitating things like steak is a lot more difficult, although I have had some pretty good "pepper steak" pieces from the Asian market. There used to be some very convincing imitation chicken and beef chunks as well, but my local store stopped carrying them. :'(

[@hollygarfield123]

right! like i don’t want a black bean burger i want tacos with fake ground beef, chicken sandwiches with fake chicken, fake shrimp in pasta dishes, actual restaurant food and meals that aren’t just microwave meals

[@freethought8517]

You had a way better title in the video. 18:07 "Scientists are rising to meat it"

[@thatone2297]

Glorious

[@allhumansarejusthuman.5776]

Alternate title; "three SciShow hosts figure out how to make lunch tax deductible"

[@fionafiona1146]

There are many more ways.

[@nmmeswey3584]

@@fionafiona1146 _thatsthejoke.jpeg_

[@TheDarkToes]

@cory take your client out to lunch... tada!

[@osmium3691]

Hank: What fish is swimming around that is this rectangular? Me (singing): TELL ME HAVE YOU SEEN THE MARVELOUS BREADFISH

[@Psilocybism]

I know this is two years ago but you really sounded like a Disney princess in my head in the style of: do you want to build a snowman (have you seen the marvelous breadfish)😂

[@NatnatXS]

"...difficult challenge, but scientists are rising to meat it" my pun-o-meter is rising!

[@devilslamp7306]

"Trying to *steer* consumers away from their favorite meaty foods."

[@comradecats]

missed opportunity: pun-o-meat-er

[@felixc543]

Friendly reminder that while it's good to encourage people to try meat substitutes, don't ever give them to people without telling them in case they have an allergy you don't know about! (Edited for typos)

[@evilsharkey8954]

Felix C, very true!

[@Azzarinne]

YES!

[@AzuriteCoast]

+

[@thalesnemo2841]

Allergies to fake foods! It’s a plot by Big Pharma and Big Ag to make people sick enough for a treatment but still able to pay for “treatment “ !

[@TiaKatt]

The fungi used for Quorn are real enough. You realize it's possible to be allergic to mushrooms and molds, right?

[@phyrofox1641]

Wouldn't vat grown meat technically be vegan as it's production does not harm animals

[@okaydudejm]

they are here to be eaten

[@lizshoemaker]

Yes, vegans are pretty excited about that.

[@lordgarth1]

Naw. Any of the ones I know insist meat is poison and the smugness about it is an added bonus.

[@lordgarth1]

Plus there’s no reason for many of those animals that were specifically breed as a meat animal to even exist anymore.

[@lizshoemaker]

@@ipissed where do you think the food that feeds cows, pigs, chickens, and farm-raised fish comes from?

[@Chiphunk]

I liked this episode, where the presenters are doing a side project of sorts. It's fun, and it was enjoyable to watch. Would like to see more fun little experiments like this in the future for the odd treat.

[@anyascelticcreations]

I agree. I think this was filmed pre-pandemic, though. I suspect that's why Scishow Quizshow paused, too.

[@froggyplatypus]

“This tastes familiar...” “Is it beef? Chicken?” “It tastes like... despair?”

[@devilslamp7306]

Better Off Ted was an incredibly underrated series!

[@inquaanate2393]

Ideally here it would be a triple blind trial where the testers don’t know the criteria of the test.

[@adiladle]

mmhm but you cant misrepresent a vegetarian product as a meat product at a shop

[@inquaanate2393]

Phoenix not the point.

[@adiladle]

@@inquaanate2393 but if it cant be applied to real life then there is no point in doing the trial @_@

[@inquaanate2393]

Phoenix you’re clearly not a scientist.

[@adiladle]

@@inquaanate2393 Nah im just a student, but this video literally talks about how people dont want to buy meat substitutes, like sure u make a fair point about the video making it harder to know but its not applicable to real life and its not a study so there is kinda no point...

[@salvatornado]

"Scientists are rising to meat" the challenge... You sir are a monster

[@Sara3346]

A charming monster though.

[@ostlandr]

And "steering" people. . . " while showing a picture of a steer.

[@triceratops2653]

I LOVE the funny interaction of the group taste test. Do more stuff like that!

[@Cordelia0704p]

Watched this in April 2020. Seeing you guys standing so close together and sharing plates of food looked crazy to me.

[@hollygarfield123]

i watched this in december of 2020 and i felt the same way

[@twistedalicemcgee]

Because you're paranoid ?

[@xxXthekevXxx]

My brother is a manly meat-loving man, but he still steals my veggie burgers when my mom cooks them because they just taste good 😂

[@tophers3756]

Locally, the reviews of the Impossible Whopper and Impossible burgers at better local restaurants have been overwhelmingly positive. That includes both meat lovers and vegetarians.

[@jesusclause4164]

Topher S oh really? That's awesome! I haven't tried them yet because where I live they're still quite expensive. I must give them a try :)

[@FrancesBaconandEggs]

It’s probably partly curiosity and partly bandwagoning. But I think there’s a good change that Impossible Burgers will increase in popularity and decrease the demand for real beef. I feel bad for the farmers who make their living off of cattle, but hopefully they will be able to pivot.

[@poncio2632]

A friend of mine once bought some fake sausages for a bbq. I couldn't finish it, it was terrible

[@ltpa1000]

I tried the A&W impossible meat breakfast sandwich. It was basically a fake sausage patty with an egg, with cheddar cheese on a english muffin. It was perfectly good, I would recommend it to anyone thinking about reducing your meat consumption (my trial was purely out of curiosity). It was pricier however, and I do have concerns about how it's made - the whole thing seems extremely processed, which of course isn't ideal.

[@FrancesBaconandEggs]

Laurent I just tried the impossible burger at a local chain, and it was great! I don’t mind the processed aspect-the soy tastes like meat and that had to happen with genetic engineering.

[@adirmugrabi]

i tried the "impossible burger" in a double blind test. and it was easy for me to detect the fake. not saying that it's bad. only that it is no where near the amazing flavor of freshly ground meat.

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

As long as it's still good I'll eat it.

[@Karlandra]

Would love to see you do one on lab grown meat

[@HercadosP]

The only thing I learned from this video is that Hank has the taste buds of a 3 year old

[@Nastynifty]

That's a super good compliment to him, as three year olds have much sharper tasting abilities.

[@arthas640]

that might be because he spent alot of time as a college student (no doubt surviving on foods that only require a vending machine or a microwave, like top ramen) and because he has a kid. Alot of new parents end up getting pretty used to chicken nuggets dipped in ketchup, animal crackers, soggy cereal, and other random kid foods. You gotta eat some of it to get them to eat it sometimes and if they get fussy and wont finish their meal then usually the parent will eat whats left over.

[@JackSparrow-tn6ic]

@General Frans Vegay? Vegaytarian? Seriously? You have the word choice of a 3 year old.

[@Markle2k]

@General Frans It seems that you're the triggered one. You wandered into this thread and started randomly throwing around homophobic attempts at insults for no discernable reason. Hank himself was clear that he doesn't think he has a very sophisticated palate.

[@maivaiva1412]

@General Frans so lemme guess, you came in here to find triggered vegans and instead found normal people... so you just create a triggered vegan out of an obvious joke.

[@jonathanperron4649]

Can we also get a 20 minute video on lab grown meat? Meat alternatives have come a long way and are an amazing thing, but lab grown meat has the potential to almost entirely fix the unsustainability of meat agriculture.

[@pheart2381]

I would be interested to know how much power consumption is required to produce this meat in terms of carbon, electricity etc.

[@Draakdarkmaster6]

the problems with lab grown meat are largely there because its a reasonably new field of study, i'm almost certain the problems can be ironed out over time and the more press and public interest we give it, the more likely it is to be funded and solve these issues much more expediently

[@jeffmorris5802]

@@pheart2381 Significantly less than farming, which is required to make the plant based substitutes.

[@Ramiromasters]

Ok let's think about this for a minute: Out of the trillions of creatures on Earth the cows we eat happen to be killing the planet? but wild herbivores are somehow ok? what about gas emissions as a byproduct of cow digestion, these are herbivores way more efficient than humans at processing vegetables, if you eat plants all day like they do then you would be farting and burping all day instead of the cow because that is HOW plants are digested they ferment they are eaten by bacteria... It doesn't make a big of difference who is doing the fermenting except in the elevator! This whole vegy revolution is nothing but marketing without authorities being wise enough to stop in their tracks.

[@Ramiromasters]

@@jeffmorris5802 To put it on perspective, our best battery can power a drone to fly about 8 miles, a duck can fly 800 miles in a day just by eating some swamp worms. But when it comes to cellular efficiency things actually get crazy efficient. But you believe these people in a lab produce meat with less energy input than a creature evolved for billions of years to be as efficient as possible at energy gathering for survival...? I'm not buying, show me your evidence.

[@pancreasnostalgia]

The university I went to was Seventh Day Adventist, so it was a vegetarian campus. That’s where I learned that soy gives me a stomachache and I developed an iron deficiency. I don’t need to have meat for every meal but I like at least having it as an option so that I don’t have to worry about getting enough iron and B12.

[@Phelixc]

I wish I was given a meat substitute product without being told, then there is a higher chance that I wouldn't reject it as inferior. I suspect a lot of my problem with the substitute is psychological and therefor, my expectations of an inferior experience makes the experience worse than it should be. I've tried regular stuff that are supposed to emulate the real deal, and I've never been very impressed by it. That said, I am not above enjoying just a regular salad or any meal without meat, I just don't appreciate the "it's just like the real thing" they are trying to pull, since in my experience so far, it is far from it.

[@Psilocybism]

I know this is 2 years ago but, don't see it as 'just as the real deal' it doesn't have to taste just as good or even better. The fact, no animal was killed for it and you chose the world above your own taste buds, is at least for me enough to make up for the tiny taste difference. I love the feeling of eating without a sprang of guilt and try eating no meat or other artificially strong flavored food for 3 weeks and then eat a veggie burger. Most western people are addicted to strong flavors. This makes the the more subtile flavors of veggies for example boring. Try preparing whole food and flavoring your food with only herbs, no salt, no monoglutamate, oh and no smoking sigarettes. After 2 weeks your taste buds are totally resetted. Now you'll probably find food tasting way better.

[@Psilocybism]

Oh, there's a channel called saucestache that makes the best meatsubstitute step by step. He invented shelf stable ground meat and burgers. For just less than 0.35 dollar a burger. They are delicious! As a prepper this is a standard we always have on shelf. If the world goes down and we'll survive, we will have 'meat' for at least 20 years to come.

[@Phelixc]

@@Psilocybism I'm a bit of a foodie though, my taste buds are honed in to get maximum flavours. When I visit a spot I always check to see if there is some hidden gems outside of the regular tourist locations, places only locals know about. I've had great, great vegan food. I have yet to have a great meat substitute experience, it just doesn't come close. It's not a slight taste difference, there is a huge difference in texture, mouthfeel and taste. It falls apart simply because it tries to be something it isn't. Instead of trying to make a meatlike option, I'd much prefer if they focused their efforts to making a dish that is tasty without trying to be something it isn't. It will never be as good as, or even close to it when it tries to copy, but it might be better if they made a dish that just has it's own legs to stand on.

[@jeremiasrobinson]

I would like to see Scishow do an episode on what effects vegan and vegetarian diets have on the human body, in particular on children's bodies. There are plenty of biased videos on the subject but I think Scishow does a good job of limiting bias in their productions.

[@derrickthewhite1]

​@Jake S Appropriate diets are nutritionally adequate. This is self-evident. That doesn't say anything about the cost, palatability, or availability of such an "appropriate" diet, merely that such a thing exists. It is not an endorsement of all vegetarian and vegan diets, nor does it analyze common ways such diets break down. Most diets prescribed by a dietitian will have similar results, but most of us don't eat those diets (myself included). Of course, lumping all vegetarian diets into a single category is hardly methodical. I have no doubt that many solid vegetarian and even vegan diets exist. The diet I'm skeptical of is what your average Urban American Vegan Eats.

[@adiladle]

@@derrickthewhite1 I mean I imagine most diets even those including meat are somehow defficient in some way because we are all simply not dietitians and its hard to make sure you are making the correct food choices when you dont really know what is healthy, I would prefer to be able to eat a healthy diet even if it contained meat than eat an unhealthy vegan or vegetarian one, I simply dont know what diet is healthy.

[@ophu7760]

@@derrickthewhite1 even compared to the average american meat eaters diet?

[@FrancesBaconandEggs]

Art by Jeremy Maya Robinson Animal Wonders did a really interesting episode on vegan diets for non-herbivorous animals. Obviously, cats are very different from humans, but it was a very cool video.

[@rlguerrero2263]

@Jake S Nothing but left biased bad science.

[@BTheBlindRef]

love the format of this episode. really appreciate the little bit of extra insight and fun that the experiment provided to the content.

[@anomnomnomnivore1350]

Life spends 3.5 billion years to evolve to its presence form Hank: it turns out meat is a complex mixture The entire kingdom of animalia: *Am I a joke to you?*

[@doginhat13]

Yes

[@HowieT]

I'd prefer a better tasting veggie dish than trying so hard to imitate the real meat though

[@JM-to7py]

"Studies have suggested that the best way to make meat substitutes attractive to non vegetarian consumers, is not to talk about abstract things like ethics, but instead, to actually get the stuff to look, act and taste like meat in a recipe." This, right here. Pure gold. So simple.

[@joshuarichardson6529]

Better plan, don't sell the product for 4 times the cost of the meat-based option.

[@glennwehmeyer]

You need to do a follow up to this episode about actual meat grown from cells.

[@azurius_]

i really enjoy you guys just 'goofing around'. please more videos like this!

[@mangoblaze]

As a vegetarian since birth who cannot eat meat now due to medical reasons (an obligate herbivore as I like to joke) this was fascinating and also I sort of wonder what those proteins would be like to bite in to without the stringing process. I also a bit relieved that the meatless nuggets were good XD (atleast one thing I eat isn't total trash lol)

[@jonathandevries2828]

I love how hank cradles the sweet BABY rays bbq sauce. I picked up what you were layin down there, hank!

[@arthas640]

Sweet baby Rays is pretty amazing though. Forget Red Hot's, you can slather Baby Ray's on everything.

[@StevenMorton]

BBQ Food Baby Coma on the way.....

[@fakjbf3129]

I can't wait for lab grown meat to become economical, just grow a giant cow muscle and then chop it into steaks.

[@Ramiromasters]

I can't wait anything produced on a lab has actual nutritional value and won't destroy your body and make you gain weight... Because real organic whole food cost an arm and a leg! why can't people just mass produce some healthy tasty stuff and put it on bag of chips and sell it for really cheap too!? The world is just not fair.

[@batintheattic7293]

I'm excited about the possibilities. Lab grown 'long pig'! Huge slabs of lab Lobster! Why not!

[@freya5902]

This might seem like the dumbest question. I was just learning about economics and that printing money makes it lose its value and destroys the economy. Could something similar happen if we're able to endlessly produce a product like meat? Or does it maintain its value because it does have intrinsic value?

[@Ramiromasters]

@@freya5902 LoL well I guess it's hard to devalue something tangible. You have to work for your meat, if you climb the pyramid then you get rewarded with tons and tons of meat from all people beneath you!

[@seanriopel3132]

Like the Jetsons or The Fifth Element. Hit a button on the machine and out pops your perfectly cooked Kobe steak.

[@zest6542]

I like this kinda format, nice long video, very informative. Good stuff. Also Hank is a really good host and 20 minutes of him is a dream come true.

[@Minuz1]

This is the best episode ever, the taste test interaction between you guys was a hoot!

[@mjames7674]

Myoglobin Hemoglobin Shemoglobin Youmoglobin

[@beth8775]

Getting towards soylent green there

[@candyanddarkside]

Ourmoglobin

[@macsnafu]

And theymoglobin. We all globin' for theymoglobin!

[@chrism9309]

Don't forget the Wemoglobin!

[@faeriedragon348]

Are there any more globin’s I should know about?!

[@ItsShatter]

I like to see y’all trying a bit of new stuff with those cut aways to the experiment / game show style scenes 🙂🤙🏻

[@Yarsig]

I've tried a LOT of different imitation meats and they either get one thing wrong that's important. Texture or taste. I've never had a fake burger with both of these things combined. They're either really soft and mushy. Or taste wildly different than actual meat. And the one brand that I actually like is quite a bit more expensive than just getting 3 bounds of beef.

[@Osillius]

This was such a delightful episode. Thanks for this!

[@cageybee7221]

i had a veggie burger once (from a store-bought pack of 8 patties) and it tasted like sausage mixed with stuffing. they are definetly close to being identical and if i could find which store had them i would have bought more.

[@kaylamarie2242]

Love these long informative videos! Keep them coming, please!!

[@wings0sgniw]

This was an excellent episode. More episodes with science experiments please!

[@journeyofawesome8473]

Stefan was sooo happy to provide ketchup. Frankly I want to try all these.

[@Luchoedge]

Humanity: "We need to change our habits to benefit the enviroment" ... ... ... Also humanity: "Let's find a really convoluted solution so we don't have to, instead :D :D :D"

[@richardgagne3255]

Gir! WHY IS THERE BACON IN THE SOAP!?

[@gitanafox9852]

I love humanity. My people.

[@StarshadowMelody]

ALSO Humanity, given time and effort: **does exactly that, finding a really convoluted solution so they don't have to** in case u haven't noticed...we as a species... r rlly cool.

[@zakosist]

The latter is definitely better. At least in this case

[@kellygoodine9944]

Or: Lets make the change as painless as possible for people that will find the change most difficult. .... Lucho-Core : But then I can't feel superior to others.

[@SullenSecret]

What convinced me to quit eating meat was learning about the very unhealthy effects of saturated fats. Eliminating those from my diet very quickly made me thin and very healthy. Also, I couldn't be happier with my food, but that's a long story.

[@kiliesmom]

I love the taste test cuts in this video. Great job!

[@RGLove13]

with respect to the environment, does it use more energy to go through all that processing to make fake meat as opposed to the real meat?

[@RGLove13]

@Jake S awesome, thank you so much! (I'm vegan and was having an argument with my mom about how it helps the environment and she said it's probably worse for it)

[@RichardBaran]

Beyond Meat does a pretty good job. Their beef burgers can be copped up and cooked into anything you would otherwise. Impossible burgers just taste like really cheap burger.

[@paulgreen2401]

You should try the Beyond Burger. Better than the 'real' thing.

[@macmurfy2jka]

Paul Green how so?

[@jacobkudrowich]

@General Frans no it's not

[@paulgreen2401]

macmurfy2jka, It's got a really nice smoked flavour. It's easily the tastiest burger I've ever tried.

[@thalesnemo2841]

Why eat fake meat when the real thing is real!

[@Retrosteampunk]

I used to eat vegetarian just to save money in college. Like I never bought imitation meat but I ate a lot of canned mushrooms and spaghetti, avocado and black bean burritos and salads.

[@hectorlima1944]

Oh yeah. This show is one of my favorites!!! I love the topics y'all post!!! I have learned a lot!!! Thank you guys!!!

[@MrFmiller]

I don't know about fake meat but everyone I know loves a grilled portabella with montreal seasoning. No reason to try to camoflage it. Call it what it is and they will eat it.

[@ankushgaur9367]

Reason why SciShow is the best science channel are videos like these. Thank you for your effort.

[@froggyy]

Beef

[@HeelTaker7]

This was a great video, very interesting and informative but it was also nice to see you guys’ personality instead of just reading from a prompter

[@alexsapunov4144]

One of the best episodes, very informative and does make you think how to be part of this change.

[@poopandfartjokes]

“You’re not a vegetarian are you?” “Oh hell no!” 🤣

[@pegasBaO23]

Pure meat itself isn't poison, especially chicken and fish meat they are relatively healthy, the problems arise from the production and processing of it. Because meatless meat processes veggies so hard until so they feel like meat, that is enough to reasonably doubt it's healthiness. I would much rather eat veggies for what they are. Try to limit my meat intake, eat more salads and patiently wait for lab grown meat

[@beth8775]

The high levels of processing makes me question the sustainability factor. Really, the most sustainable way to grow food is to use food crop species to mimic a natural biome, which will include animals. I very much want to system to change to humane standards. The result would have to be us eating less meat overall.

[@lexhdz5803]

i love how hank has a hickey for the entirety of the experiments and no one said anything

[@nonimus6269]

no one said anything 'til you came along

[@lexhdz5803]

@@nonimus6269 yeah thats why i said it. bc nobody was

[@ethanwagner6418]

Damn, Hank Green 😳

[@jackgibsxxx0750]

The geeks get the girls now days. 😂😂😂😂

[@dwaynewilliams3077]

@@lexhdz5803 I'm just happy he lost his v card... Although I suspect, his videos will be rushed, and with less effort from now on... 😂

[@jmanj3917]

2:25 That's why it helps to add different colors whenever possible, like using green, orange, yellow and red peppers instead of just the green peppers a recipe might show.

[@coffeeabernethy2823]

I'm doing the fishystick!!! It's a very delicate state of mind!!

[@CommanderWiggins]

Coffee Abernethy Cheese for everyone! Ah, nevermind. No cheese.

[@InertFoxtrot117]

I have to say, I tried an impossible burger a few months ago. It was almost identical to a beef burger, the texture was slightly off. That being said, I'd totally order one again

[@neomt2]

3D printed meat anyone? Star Trek Replicator Future

[@arthas640]

I've heard that they're developing something along those lines that would allow either fungus strands or lab grown meat strands to be printed into a gel to form a real "steak" form before dissolving the gel and leaving behind a convincing chunk of meat. The lab gown meat is easier to grow in smaller pieces as opposed to a whole steak and the fungus likes to grow in strands, so either could be 3D printed into a convincing steak.

[@JanetStarChild]

3D printing is a joke compared to Star Trek replicator technology. It's like the difference between a bicycle and a shuttlecraft.

[@Jim_n_the_wilds]

Wow, sci show went above and beyond in this video. I’d say it’s one of their best!

[@ekpennock]

those morning star corndogs are great. Even better, morning star breakfast sausages. My first bite of them fooled me so completely I immediately ran to check the ingredients, I thought for sure they had meat in them.

[@Urelob]

I just had those sausages and I did the same thing. The maple ones are life changing

[@ewlivia]

Same I had the corn dogs in the fridge and the rest of my family ate them not even knowing

[@mvmlego1212]

Their chicken patties on the other hand... They're not bad, but they're definitely not chicken.

[@leftylum]

What brand(s) made the non-meat chicken and fish because Gardein does a pretty good job of imitating both

[@xiomaramendoza4060]

their beef crumbles are my fave!

[@wisp5570]

DKLUM I recommend morning star farms, all of the chicken products taste like actual chicken, i’m a diehard meat eater and i love em

[@leftylum]

@@wisp5570 Good to know, I'll have to try them one day. Thank you for the information.

[@acoustikangaroo]

I’m pretty sure the chicken was Quorn, and the fish might have been as well

[@TwelveFrames]

If you want a generic seafood flavor, but allergic to shellfish, try cooking Lion's Mane mushrooms.

[@walterthorne5782]

6:50 priceless. would love more of these team experiments.

[@marianaandrade5068]

I just love when there’s more than one host! It makes SciShow funnier and meaty! ♥️💛

[@AzuriteCoast]

+

[@Devilot109]

Vegetarian meat substitutes are all well and good, but I'm also super interested in cultured meats.They're still facing some hurdles, but meat grown in a lab would be good from a cruelty and a sustainability perspective.

[@idillj1]

I liked the format of this video. Kindof Good Mythical Morning taste test style but with SciShow learning thrown in!

[@evobsm2328]

The ground up beef one (the taco one) seems the most attractive at the moment right now and hope to try it once. Cause the texture and so on isnt such a huge factor when ground up.

[@Tirryna]

I just want "green meat" (actual meat grown in a lab independent from a animal = no suffering, killing, or environmental impact) to be a normal thing...but it's like $10k per pound atm..so until then, keep going impossible peoples.

[@EverydayExitSign1]

Klutzy Mutt meat substitutes are so much better and they’re already so advanced.. they’re in Walmarts everywhere. It’s just the way to go

[@xxaidanxxsniperz6404]

Green meat wont be green. Itll be filled with growth hormones, antibiotics, and fed with sugars. It's a cow's meat except it doesnt have it's defense. Artificial hormones pumped through the tissue will effect us later. Plant based substitutes or even fungi are the best option to convince meat eaters to cut down their consumption. Lab grown meat will have similar issues to regular meat.

[@magnusdagbro8226]

There's no need. You just need to drop your veggie prejudice.

[@xxaidanxxsniperz6404]

@@magnusdagbro8226 I'm on the carnivore diet 😂😂😂😂

[@evilsharkey8954]

Magnus Dagbro, veggies just don’t fill me the way meat does, not even high protein veggies like tofu and beans. If they can find a way to cheaply and efficiently grow test tube meat, I’ll be on board!

[@WickedWildlife]

Could you do an episode on rock phosphate and how dependant we are on it for crops, most people don’t understand its a limited resource and without animal agriculture our need for it would likely increase even further

[@starshot5172]

That could be really interesting. I never thought of that

[@andrewmayers1493]

Solution? Crop rotation and field burning.

[@CorwynGC]

@@andrewmayers1493 Field burning is not a good idea. The main problem is that we don't have any cycles that get nutrients back into the soil after they have been food just once.

[@applesauce4389]

Impossible meat has a very distinctive taste that I can never cover up. It's hard to season and it's pretty expensive where I live, so I don't use it very often. It's not bad, but it is definitely not actually meat.

[@knives564]

Should try vegetarian orange chicken, this one restaurant in Monterey, CA completely blew my mind especially sense im a meat lover/enthusiast. Its texture,and its flavor totally mimicked the texture and flavor of chicken and its crust was exceptionally crispy and the smell well obviously smelled like anything else soaked in that sweet delicious syrup XD

[@williamwells3026]

Instead of going for a full replacement, maybe companies should create something that is half meat and half plant. That would reduce the actual amount of meat eaten and make it easier to convince people to eat it.

[@jamesdietz29]

If only someone would invent a replicator (as seen on Star Trek) it could solve all of these issues.

[@General12th]

Replicators are definitely impossible. There's no way to arrange the molecules fast enough.

[@jamesdietz29]

@@General12th Yet.

[@General12th]

@@jamesdietz29 No, seriously. The nozzle would need to move back and forth at billions of times the speed of light.

[@garyreed2206]

@@General12th - Nozzle? Why are you limiting yourself to mechanical 3-D printer technology. For a replicator to be efficient, you would need a network of force-fields directing and reconstructing the materials on an atomic or even, sub-atomic level. So, get the notion of a single nozzle out of you head.

[@Draakdarkmaster6]

@@General12th you're assuming a replicator has to have one thing replicating the molecules, there's talk of potentially producing nanites that can do just that, a swarm of nanites with the right feed stock could replicate anything rather quickly, or if figure out teleportation, its basically half of that technology to make the whooshy teleporter effect of the actual star trek replicators

[@meganpennington343]

"I can't eat scallops or I'll die" is a mood

[@JanetStarChild]

A mood? What, like depression?

[@harrietharlow9929]

Actually, it's a real thing. My MIL is so allergic to shellfish that if she eats any type of shellfish she will have an anaphylactic reaction and could die.

[@meganpennington343]

@@harrietharlow9929 ... yeah me too ...

[@judij1084]

i love this one, it really shows their personality and humor! i love it!!

[@WillyTung]

Taste Texture Look and it has to be cheap enough. A lot of tasty vege options are much more expensive.

[@limiv5272]

It also has to be more environmentally friendly

[@poncio2632]

True, I prefer eating actual beans instead of "processed until they taste like spiced cardboard beans"

[@arthas640]

i never understood why many restaurants will charge you $1.00 extra for the fake meat burgers.

[@limiv5272]

@@arthas640 Sometimes when people buy expensive stuff they unconsciously convince themselves it was worth it

[@jelatinosa]

They're more expensive because they aren't highly subsidized like animal products are. If we had to pay the actual cost of animal products, it would be much much higher. We do pay the high cost, just we don't see it because we don't pay it directly, rather through taxes and the environmental cost.

[@vincentlarochelle6521]

"steer" consumers away...I see what you did there...

[@yisraelkatz1958]

+

[@samanthayodis9426]

I'm loving the longer videos!

[@skyem5250]

I got an ad for Gardein meatless "chick'n" tenders with this video. I have actually eaten these, and I can confirm that they taste like the breading on chicken nuggets without anything inside. Their meatballs are good though.

[@evanderitcock3217]

But scientists are rising to "meat" it nice pun

[@rin_okami]

I'll just stick to my veggies looking and tasting like veggies, and just try to eat more of them, thanks. Roasted veggies are delightful, no extruding required. :P

[@MGSLurmey]

Agreed. This whole thing is very commendable but I'd rather just try to balance my diet better as I have been. Less meat, more veggies.

[@Ramiromasters]

Sure, no reason to eat fake food. Although, vegetables were never very nutritious and actually a bit poisonous because plants prefer not to be eaten... However, they will let you eat their fruit, when ready (riped) they will send a signal to their fruit to remove the mitochondrial poison from the meat of the fruit and concentrate this poison in the seed (you know so you won't try pull any stunts and eat the seed) then your job its to spit the seed and spread the plant. Thus humans are carnivore/fruitarians/scavengers.

[@evangelinachavez9276]

would you be able to link the vegetable substitutes you ate in the video in the description box? I'd really like to try them!

[@threefeetofair758]

"I like this better, but I'm going back to what's real." That, my friends, is quintessential human analysis.