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Scientists swear their lab-grown beef rice tastes pleasant

Date:
Wed, 14 Feb 2024 22:00:00 +0000

It might not be the most appetizing, but it is definitely more eco-friendly. Yonsei University

The whole point of lab-grown meat , by and large, is to create a sustainable product capable of you know, replacing meat. Researchers at universities and startup companies across the world have spent years and a lot of money on attempts to accurately imitate chicken , beef , fish , and even extinct
woolly mammoths .

Its an uphill battle, but convincing a substantial portion of the population
to reduce, if not entirely cut, animal meat from their diets is widely considered a key way to combat industrial farmings massive global carbon emissions . But instead of trying to replicate the minutiae of a burgers mouthfeel and flavor, one group of scientists decided to sidestep those goals entirely for a new dish: beef rice grown from lab-cultured cow fat cells.
Looks delicious.

But if you are skeptical at the thought of spoonfuls of synthetic meat-grain meals, fear not: Its makers swear their pinkish globules offer its consumers
a unique blend of aromas including that slight nuttiness and umami usually associated with meat or, at least, thats what research lead Jinkee Hong
swears.

We tried it with various accompaniments and it pairs well with a range of dishes, he relayed in a Wednesday profile at The Guardian .

Hong and his collaborators have detailed their process in a new paper
published with Matter . Before unleashing their Frankenstein concoction into the world, the team first slathered regular rice grains with fish gelatin and injected them with lab-grown muscle and fat stem cells. The resultant hodgepodge then cultured anywhere from 9-to-11 days before being steamed for dinner time.

Depending on the meat-to-fat cell ratios, taste tests of Hongs reportedly yielded different scent and taste palates. Higher muscular contents
predictably gave hints of meat and almond, while fattier variants offered
notes of cream, butter, and coconut oil. Due to the altered chemical compositions, however, the rice generally proved firmer and more brittle than standard grains. Generally, the new dish also contains 8 percent more protein and 7 percent more fat than its naturally grown source rice.

Of course, rice isnt exactly known for its high amounts of protein or fat, so those numbers arent going to factor into anyones pre-workout meal prep
anytime soon. The real benefits to such a food alternative, argues
researchers, is its impressively sustainability and cost-saving potential.

By their calculations, beef rice has a significantly smaller carbon footprint at a fraction of a price. Real beef farming releases nearly 50 kg (110 lbs)
of CO2 emissions per 100 g of proteinthe hybrid grain, meanwhile, releases
less than 6.27 kg (14.8 lbs) for the same amount. And while beef costs less than $14.90 per kg (2.2 lbs), the equivalent rice might only set you back $2.23.

For what its worth, it doesnt sound like the mad scientists behind beef rice expect their pink granules to replace your next hot pots bottom layer anytime soon. Instead, such a creation could find its way into emergency food
supplies in regions struck by famine or natural disaster, as well as potentially within astronaut and military rations.

While it does not exactly replicate the taste of beef, it offers a pleasant
and novel flavor experience, Hong said . Hungry yet?

Link to news story:
https://www.popsci.com/environment/hybrid-beef-rice-food/


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