Tofurkey Song Posted on My Facebook Feed

[MineralMan]

Tofurkey, Tofurkey, Tofurkey, the food you like to eat!
Tofurkey, Tofurkey, Tofurkey, it isn't really meat!

This was posted by a mom who made tofurkey yesterday for her recently-turned-vegan son. I do not believe she is sincere in her celebratory song, though. She also roasted a forrealturkey.

[Skidmore]

1. Tofurkey always seems to me like it should be a curse word.

It does have some of the requisite letters.

[MineralMan]

2. Factory food, pretending to be meat.

It's also hugely full of gluten, so those with gluten sensitivity should avoid it entirely.

I've eaten it. Once. There are way better vegan main courses one can make. Tofurkey is just another factory food.

[Skidmore]

3. I don't mind tofu in stir fry or

an occasional dessert but it will never become a diet staple here.

[HereSince1628]

4. There is an entire line of '(a type of meat) Not"! I explored these briefly

after by-pass surgery. I decided not to colonize that part of the landscape. Of course, each to their own preferences.

Beef, chicken, pork, ham, tuna. There is even vegetarian but beef and chicken flavored bouillons.

Capitalism...It's just marvelously creative!

[MineralMan]

5. If you have access to a store specializing in oriental foods,

look for cans of Mock Duck. It's textured wheat gluten, and is actually pretty tasty. It even has simulated feather bumps on one side. I've used it in several ways. There are also other wheat gluten meat substitutes that have the right texture, etc. Staples for the vegan cook, except that many people who are vegans also claim to be gluten intolerant. It tastes better than it looks:



Since I moved to Minnesota from California, I haven't been called on to cook for vegan guests, though.

[HereSince1628]

6. Never have bought fake duck. I've kneaded gluten into fake meat

It wasn't terrible if I incorporated beef or chicken bouillon into the water...

I did use unflavored cubes of it in vegetable fake beef soup.

Again not terrible, hot sauce and aromatic herbs have an appeal of their own...

But, not terrible isn't much of a recommendation for a foodstuff.

My real problem was that the gluten for making seitan was expensive, even when it was available in quasi-bulk by loading scoopfuls of it into a bag at a local health food store.

[MineralMan]

7. The canned stuff is pretty good.

The mock duck is fried before being canned. Made where seitan originated, they seem to have gotten the texture and taste down pretty well. There's also a canned form with the texture and taste of chicken. I think this stuff is mainly produced in Taiwan. It's worth a try. I created several excellent stir fry dishes using it, along with some of the more unusual fungi, like black fungus from China, which can be purchased in a dehydrated form. Shitake mushrooms are also a great, flavorful addition to those stir fries, adding a good deal of umami to the mix.

I found making vegan meals a good challenge, and enjoyed the experience. My Buddhist friends in California were always happy to do taste tests at my table.

[HereSince1628]

8. We do meatless mondays, wheatless wednesdays and cholesterol free fridays...

I don't have any religious reasons for that or any interest in particular ethnic foods. It came about as a dance around blood chemistry numbers.

Although I've given up on chasing those numbers, we have continued with more or less the same basic weekly meal plan for years.