By SHIVALI BEST FOR MAILONLINE
From beetroot burgers to vegan ‘ribs’, imitation meats are becoming more and more popular by the day.
These plant-based alternatives often look like the real deal, but most still lack that truly meaty flavour after cooking.
Now, scientists from the University of Hohenheim in Germany think they have the solution – although it doesn’t exactly sound very appealing.
They claim that adding fermented onions, chives or leeks to plant-based meats can evoke that sought-after aroma.
‘These onion ferments could someday be used as a natural flavouring in various plant-based meat alternatives,’ the researchers said.
Many plant-based meat companies use synthetic additives to replicate meat’s flavours and aromas.
However, because these flavourings are made through synthetic processes, many countries won’t allow food makers to label them as ‘natural’.
‘Accessing a plant-based, “natural” meat flavouring would require the flavouring chemicals to be physically extracted from plants or generated biochemically with enzymes, bacteria or fungi,’ the team explained.
In their new study, published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers set out to create a meaty flavour using natural ingredients and processes.
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