We went out shopping for vegan and vegetarian foods and meals that are easily found around the nation. What we found surprising was the huge range in quality from really delicious and wholesome products to those that were barely palatable.
In general, the more processed a food, the less delicious and desirable it was. What was concerning was the amount of processed raw ingredient that was used, from isolated protein from legumes as the base of the dish to the use of gums to hold the food together and add mouthfeel to highly processed starches and added flavours. As far as food ethics go, although the meat-free offers were kind on animals, they were not so planet-friendly, with most being made in the USA or Europe racking up huge food miles to get here.
The pick of the bunch were the locally made burgers while the manufacturers of vegan cheese – essential to any good vegie burger – let the animal-free team down producing some "cheeses" that are nowhere near the real thing.
Here are foods rated in order of most flavoursome and convincing to the least appealing and credible.
Bean Supreme Black Bean Beetroot Burger
This is a really tasty and dense burger that is made mostly of black beans and beetroot with pumpkin seeds, caramelised onions and buckwheat along with gums and yeast extract. A little dry but nothing that a little sauce and mayo won't fix.
4 burgers 340g $8. Made in NZ
Follow Your Heart Veganaise
The best store-bought mayo is made with egg yolk. Until now. This tastes just like traditional mayonnaise with a smooth rich mouthfeel, clean finish and really fresh taste. Made with rapeseed oil, brown rice syrup, cider vinegar and mustard powder. Good value. Great taste.
340g $6. Made in US
Coles Southern Smoked Sweet Potato and Bean Burger
While they look nothing special these big burgers are really tasty and really filling. While they go nowhere near being meaty, they have a crunchy texture, smoky aroma and are made with mostly wholesome vegetables such as sweet potato, black bean, carrot, flour, chickpea, herbs and spices.
2 burgers 250g $3.50. Made in Australia
Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
A very convincing cheese substitute that looks, smells, tastes and melts almost exactly like grated American Monterey Jack cheese. Made from tapioca, coconut oil, potato protein, salt and yeast extract, it still costs 10 times as much as the moo cow version.
200g $14.49. Made in Canada
Tofurky Deli Slices Smoked Ham Style
Wow! The people at Tofurkey have spent a lot of time working out how to make wheat gluten and tofu coloured with lycopene from tomatoes and purple carrot juice taste just like smoked ham. They would have got away from it except for the lack of juiciness and slightly rubbery texture.
156g $6. Made in US
Original Grain Meat Co.
This looks like a little lamb roast complete with "net marks". Made with wheat gluten, barley malt extract, vegetable gums and shiitake and porcini mushrooms it is very dense but quite juicy. When sliced and heated it is very tasty with a meaty aftertaste and aroma of the mushrooms. It has a wholesome quality of its own.
341g $10.50. Made in US
Australian Eatwell Lentil Vegie Burgers
A vegie burger for bogans because if you like Chiko rolls then you'll love this vegetarian burger made with carrot, potato, lentil and seasonings. We like that there are no artificial E numbers used to make these tasty burgers.
350g 2 burgers $5.35. Made in Australia
The Alternative Meat Company – Chicken Free Satay
Strips of vegetable protein are chewy but not chickeny enough to justify the image of a chook on the packet. The sauce is thick but not lip-smacking and the flavours reminiscent of satay, but when served over brown rice makes a decent meal.
360g $7. Made in Australia
Sheese
Made from coconut oil and starch with flavourings, it smells like cheese, melts like cheese but has an extruded appearance and slippery texture. It is not great by itself but good for gratin and sauces.
200g $6. Made in Scotland
Vegie Delights Vegie Sausages
These are similar to hot dogs only harder and not as juicy. Made from wheat gluten, soy and pea protein, canola oil, tapioca, yeast and tomato powder, when slathered with sauce and served with cooked onions they pass as the real deal.
300g $7.50. Made in Australia
Quorn Mince
It is brown, looks like cooked minced meat and has no real flavour of its own except for some umami deliciousness and a mushroomy aftertaste like very bland camembert. Quorn mince is a blank canvas that is as delicious as the sauce it is cooked in.
300g $6.30. Made in England
Viana Veggie Gyros
These strips of wheat protein, tofu, sunflower oil, soy sauce and yeast extract, apart from some bounciness to the tooth, tastes like the real deal. There is no dripping fat and they are slightly under-seasoned but if it was late at night and there was plenty of garlic sauce, you'd be convinced.
200g $8.70 Made in Germany
Bio Cheese
If you like yellow and shiny American processed cheese only rubberyier, you will like this.
200g $7.50. Made in Greece
Vegie Delights Chick'n Style Slices
Remember chicken loaf in school lunches? Well this looks, smells and tastes like processed chicken loaf. Only drier and with a texture that becomes more rubbery the more you chew. Made with wheat, soy and pea protein, canola oil for texture, gum from seaweed for mouth feel and yeast extract for flavour, these slices are not very pleasant.
150g $6.07. Made in Australia
Oliana Foods Dairy Free Feta
Made from coconut oil and starch, this feta substitute gets the saltiness of feta, and that is about it. Salty, nutty, rubbery and very white – and not very nice.
200g $9.65. Made in Greece
Green Vie Flavour Parmesan
This is quite unpleasant. Made with coconut oil, starches, colours and flavours, this has the aroma of grana Padano but with texture like a brittle block of latex with a chemical note I found odd and off-putting.
300g $9.30. Made in Greece
Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.
Sign up