When you think of Thanksgiving, do you have visions of mycoprotein food product dancing in your head? For me, I love falling into a turkey coma after stuffing myself silly. For Daniele, it’s all about the Quorn. Read on for some more insight into a vegetarian’s ideal Thanksgiving dinner. -Leslie
Next Thursday will mark my 19th Thanksgiving as a vegetarian. (Whoa! That makes me feel old!) Throughout those many years, I have eaten a wide variety of turkey stand-ins on our nation’s biggest eating day. I’ve run the gamut from homemade veggie casseroles to amusingly poultry-shaped soy products from the Asian grocery store. These exploits have both amused and dismayed my non-vegetarian family. A few years ago, a new meat-replacement product came to the market that has been a holiday staple for me ever since: Quorn.
Quorn Turk'y Roast via http://Quorn.us
I’ll admit it: most of the other products that I’ve tried for holiday meals have been pretty bland and tasteless. And I’m sorry to report that I count Tofurkey in this bland category despite its awesome name. (Tofurkey Deli Slices, on the other hand, are delicious.) Quorn just gets it right. It’s got a good texture that is neither too mushy nor to rubbery, which are problems that other “fake meats” can have. The flavor of Quorn is poultry-like, though at this point I’d say I hardly have an accurate recollection of what chicken or turkey are supposed to taste like. I’m sure turkey and chicken eaters will be able to tell the difference immediately, but what I like about Quorn’s flavor is that it goes well with all of the traditional side dishes that compliment turkey so well: sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, etc.
The major drawback of Quorn is that it contains egg products and is therefore not vegan. This makes no difference to me since I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian, but if you are looking to feed a crowd of folks who eschew all animal products, Quorn is not your food.
There are quite a few Quorn products on the market, but I tend to buy the Quorn Roast for Thanksgiving because its size and shape lends itself well to the traditional Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches we all like so much. You could probably even shred it up to make a fake-turkey salad if you’re feeling really ambitious.
Quorn is available at both Whole Foods locations in the greater New Orleans area. Mainstream grocery stores might also carry it, but it’s best to check with your local grocery store than take my word for it.
