Do you remember the pandemic days when the sale of plant-based foods surged, changing the global food scene? Health-conscious people turning to vegetarianism or veganism meant mock meats were at the forefront of that wave. Restaurants across urban India started offering plant-based meat alternatives, and supermarket shelves were stocked with frozen mock meats. It really felt at that point that these meat substitutes were here to stay.
However, fast-forward a few years, and mock meats haven't quite lived up to the hype in India. With a legacy of plant-based cuisine already providing rich, umami flavours through a combination of ingredients, many still prefer those natural alternatives. And of course, the appeal to non-vegetarians hasn't paid off either.
While mock meats are targeted first and foremost to non-vegetarians for reasons of ethics, personal health and the environment, recreating the magic of dishes like melt-in-mouth Galouti Kebab or a perfectly slow-cooked Gushtaba is near impossible. Would a mock meat ever be able to be a perfect substitute for the hearty non-vegetarian delights Indian foodies love?
Rise Of Mock Meats In India
The pandemic made the world realize a shift in food preference towards health, sustainability, and ethical food habits that have made more people go along with the notion of plant-based diets. Thus, many Indians began to ponder over mock meats as a viable option.
Firstly, there was this curiosity among vegetarians who wanted something new and also the non-vegetarians who were looking at healthier options. Celebrity endorsements and growing awareness of sustainability greatly contributed to these products' popularity. Mock meats began pouring into restaurants and supermarkets throughout metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore.
Fake meat also started sounding very fashionable in the new global best practices and trends of the time. But it quickly proved to be a short-lived fancy because the Indian palate, steeped in the wide variety of tasty plant-based foods, did not find mock meat appealing.
India's Plant-Based Heritage Vs Mock Meat Culture
Indians have been conditioned with plant-based diets for thousands of years. In many cases, vegetarianism is not just a choice for diet but also a cultural and religious belief for millions of Indians. India boasts a wide variety of vegetarian meals that offer complexity in flavours, textures, and nutritional value of foods. In fact, even Indian non-vegetarians regularly eat these vegetarian dishes, no matter which part of the nation they may belong to.
With a wide range of tasty vegetarian delicacies available, mock meats seem rather redundant. The concept of "substituting" meat seems strange to the ears of a culture where the plant-based cuisine is so rich and complex that it can outshine post-modern vegetarian menus at high-end restaurants too. What is the point of becoming a vegetarian and then consuming processed versions of meat, when one can relish the simple, light and flavoured dishes?
Mock Meats' Difficulty With Indian Flavours: A Match Not Made In Heaven
And then there's the reason why mock meats don't appeal to Indian non-vegetarians. Mock meats try to capture the meaty texture and flavour of animal-based proteins but never hit the mark for Indians: for us, flavour rules above all else.
Mock meats can barely stand up to the complexity of Indian non-vegetarian dishes, especially when it comes to getting that balance of spices and depth of flavours just right. For most Indian non-vegetarians, therefore, mock meats are flavourless, unable to capture the deeply sensory experience of traditional dishes. Even when home cooks and chefs add masalas and ghee in an effort to pump up these alternatives, the result is still underwhelming. And besides, the attempt to mask the flatness of mock meats defeats the health and sustainability aspects that made consumers gravitate to them in the first place.
Interestingly, mock meats were not invented for vegetarians but for non-vegetarians who want to indulge in succulent dishes free from the associated guilt. But that's also a problem. Think about the Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani, a juicy biryani known for its texture and succulent flavours. The idea of re-creating the dish with mock meat is simply impossible in the culinary world. Or take the Gushtaba, to name an example: a laborious dish in which fatty meat is pounded and then cooked to tender perfection.
No amount of culinary talent or use of premium spices can replicate the satisfaction of such dishes, mock meats notwithstanding. This is where the real challenge lies: non-vegetarians who have been used to such intense flavours will unlikely be swayed wholeheartedly into mock meats beyond a fad, especially if the alternative cannot come close to the emotional and sensory experience of meat.
Natural Plant-Based Options Pack More Flavour
Mock meats may have cornered the early attention of city-based, health-conscious consumers, but the likes of mushrooms, soybeans, eggplants, and jackfruit remain much more popular when it comes to natural plant-based options. These ingredients offer the umami flavours and meaty textures that faux meats promise without heavy processing. Such examples include using mushrooms in Indian recipes to mimic meaty texture and serve a satisfying, earthy flavour. Jackfruit, especially in recipes like Kathal Biryani, provides a fibrous, meat-like consistency that appeals to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. On the other hand, fake meats might be viewed as a superfluous addition to a cuisine that's already been hailed for its ability to conjure magic out of plants.
Here to Stay or Not?
For all their urban markets and health-conscious niches, mock meats don't seem to have a profound influence on India's food culture. India's vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian traditions are just too strong, too flavourful, and too rich for mock meats to gain a firmer foothold. Indians have been pretty discerning when it comes to food, and for the vast majority, the appeal of natural, homegrown ingredients still outweighs that of processed lab-grown meat substitutes.
Mock meats might have briefly been the flavour of the month when consciousness about health was on the ascendant, however, this appears to be a trendy fad rather than a shift in habits. In a country where vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are enjoyed with equal passion, there cannot be a stronger contrast than the flatness of the mock meats against the richness of the flavours that traditional cuisine provides. While the world may be flipping to plant-based diets, India remains too deep-rooted in its plant-based traditions for mock meats to really take hold.