Are you ready for a “test tube” burger? tastes like chicken? Nope

OK, just imagine you're sitting down for a nice juicy steak or hamburger, and you take a deep breath and... It doesn't smell like beef, it doesn't have that hot off the grill aroma and when you bite into it, it doesn't taste like it just came off the grill. 

Well, that's the battle that scientists are fighting when they're trying to create what is called “cultured meat”. Meat protein that has grown in a test tube and not out in a pasture. It's not an easy problem to fix, and scientists have been working hard to get it right because if they don't get it right, nobody's going to want to eat this stuff. 

According to nature,com,
“Meat grown in the lab has been hailed as an environmentally friendly, cruelty-free alternative to conventional chops and steaks — but struggles to replicate the taste of the real thing. Now, researchers have engineered cultured meat that releases beefy flavors at high temperatures, a development that could improve its appeal to diners.”

Growing meat in a vat has been a plot point that has been showing up in science fiction for decades. The whole idea of eliminating live animals and still having meat protein seems very futuristic. (And humanistic.) In the last few years, the technology seems to be possible but to scale it up to industrial levels, that is years away. 

When Burger King introduced their “Impossible Whopper”. (plant-based meat) I figured I would go ahead and try one, what I found was that yes, it did taste like beef, and it had the same mouth feel, but it did not smell like a broiled hamburger and that put me off a little bit. 

Now how about a Vat-grown whopper. I honestly don't know, based on all the additives that they're talking about putting in this vat-grown meat. I think a whole lot of testing is going to have to be done to find out if it's even safe to consume.  

According to nature.com.
“Lee and her colleagues developed a compound that could be added to cultured meat, containing furfuryl mercaptan — a product of the Maillard reaction known to contribute to a savory flavor profile — along with substances that would help it to bind to the meat and keep it from breaking down.” 

By the way, nature.com says that a Maillard reaction is “the process that gives cooked food its darkened color and appetizing flavor's” 

I'm not sure, but I think I may be waiting quite a while before I can try out the Burger King “Test tube whopper”. 

Mmmm, it tastes like Pyrex. 

This lab-grown meat probably tastes like real beef (nature.com)
Lab-grown meat: the science of turning cells into steaks and nuggets (nature.com)
Will cell-based meat ever be a dinner staple? (nature.com)