I ate the vegan foie gras – and that’s it

foie gras. Buttery and flavorful. One of the few edibles that is both fatty and delicious at the same time. A luxury item in most countries, in France it is deeply rooted in culinary tradition and culture. Especially on holidays – be it Christmas or July 14 – it should not be missing from the festive menu.

But it always has been gastric tube – force-feeding the birds until their livers swell – controversial. Animal welfare concerns have prompted more than a dozen countries to ban production (including Switzerland). It is illegal to sell it in restaurants in several US states. Some countries are considering an import ban. The French-speaking world still responds with a shrug (like the French-speaking world). However, even in France, about 3/4 of consumers would prefer a more animal-friendly version of the delicacy if they had the choice, according to surveys.

Inventors and researchers immediately started looking for alternatives that were free of animal cruelty. In France, for example Gourmet has successfully made an in vitro foie gras while receiving strong support from the French state (the same French state, by the way, that created the gastric tube protected as cultural heritage).

In the meantime, two plant-based foie gras alternatives have already appeared on the market in this country:

Pate Fox comes from the Zurich research project and catering company button labfounded by ETH scientists (by the way: also Planted Chicken comes from the ETH environment). The pâté is made from cashew nuts (30%) and pine nuts (6%) and contains ingredients such as cognac, sherry and port wine that are important for the taste of foie gras. A 170-gram jar costs 32 francs, which is comparable to high-quality foie gras.

From food multinational Nestlé Voy grass, whose ingredients list sometimes includes similar ingredients (e.g. miso paste, sesame or mushroom powder), but apparently does not use nuts as the main ingredient and also dispenses with brandy, sherry and port wine. Dyes and unspecified “flavors” are included. A glass of 180g is available for 8 francs, which is a bargain.

But: How do these vegan foie gras alternatives taste? We did the self-test:

And? How was it?

“Tastes like foie gras” is written on the jar of the Nestlé product. Unfortunately, this claim is not true. “Alternative to foie gras made with nuts”, as stated on the packaging Pate foixlabel is more correct. As with the vast majority of plant-based meat substitutes, the differences outweigh the similarities in a direct comparison to the meat-based model. However, vegan foie gras alternatives have their place as independent delicacy products.

Naturally. Logo. Clear. Pate Fox and co. is unlikely to have a major impact on global foie gras production. Switzerland is a small, meaningless market, as hardly anyone eats foie gras, animal or vegetable. And France is not (yet) impressed by eco-aspirations boches. The symbolic content is important here. By proving that there are vegan alternatives to even the most niche niche products, it points the way to a future where animal products can increasingly be dispensed with.