Anthony Bourdain explains why he 'hates the idea' of meat-free burgers

He is resistant to the idea that there is a replacement to meat 

Chelsea Ritschel
Friday 20 April 2018 17:57 BST
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Anthony Bourdain shared his thoughts on the Impossible Burger (Getty)
Anthony Bourdain shared his thoughts on the Impossible Burger (Getty)

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain may not have tried the immensely popular lab-grown meat-free Impossible Burger himself - but he already isn't a fan of it.

The Impossible Burger is a plant-based burger alternative that replicates the sizzle, smell, texture, flavour, and bleeding of a real burger - without the environmental consequences.

But Bourdain, who has been a consistent critic of vegans and vegetarians throughout his career, even going as far as to call them a “persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn” in his book "Kitchen Confidential," has now shared his thoughts on the new “bleeding” burger - and they aren’t positive.

Speaking to Eater, Bourdain said, although he hasn’t tried it, he understands the burger’s appeal - kind of.

“Look, there are a lot of hungry people in the world. I guess if it is a means of providing must-needed protein to people who need protein to live, I guess I’m all for it,” he said.

However, despite the use of an ingredient called “heme,” which the scientists behind the Impossible Burger claim turns the burger into a “carnivore’s delight,” there are just a few things missing, according to Bourdain - muscle and funk.

The chef continued: “But, you know, as somebody who spent 30 years as a chef, of course I’m going to be resistant to the notion that there’s any replacement for the texture and musculature and funk of real meat.”

Again stating he is “resistant” to it, the 61-year-old television personality revealed why: “I hate the idea that people are selling this at a premium at hip restaurants.”

The Impossible Burger was built in a lab (Impossible Burger)

“You know, it doesn’t fill me with joy,” the chef concluded.

Since it was introduced, the bleeding burger has been a hit with plant and meat-eaters alike and it is now available in restaurants around the US, including popular burger chain White Castle.

And despite the chef’s resistance, the Impossible Burger is impressive - as it “uses a fraction of the Earth’s natural resources” when compared to cows, including 95 per cent less land, 74 per cent less water, and 87 per cent greenhouse gas emissions, according to the website.

Rather than catering solely to the “first-world phenomenon” of vegans, as Bourdain referred to them in an interview with Playboy magazine, the 20g of protein per serving in the plant-based Impossible Burger could change the world.

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