"Zero Meat" from Otsuka Foods
Zero meat. A hamburger made from soybeans that responds to the "alternative meat" boom

I tried Otsuka Foods' Zero Meat, which reproduces hamburger steak and sausage without using meat. Like the "alternative meats" that we hear about these days, soybeans are used as the material. The package says, "It's not meat, but it's delicious!", But what does it taste like?

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
There are a total of 3 types of hamburger and sausage

In Tokyo, it was handled at some peacock stores and Lawson. I bought the "Zero Meat Meatless Hamburger" demiglace type, the cheese indemi-glace type, and the "Zero Meat Meatless Sausage Type". The over-the-counter price is 298 yen for the hamburger type (excluding tax, the same applies below) and 398 yen for the sausage type. As far as the ingredient list is concerned, all of them contain egg whites, etc., so they are not vegan foods, which means that they do not use any animal ingredients.

Demi-glace type

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
Meat-free hamburger demiglace type

First, try the meat-free hamburger demiglace type. If you heat it in the microwave for 2 minutes, you can eat it immediately.

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
It ’s a hamburger steak.

When the steam-filled and slightly hot package is unsealed and taken out on a plate, the scent of the demiglace sauce that rises up is appetizing. Suppressing the desire to put on chopsticks immediately and observing it, it looks like a hamburger steak made with meat. Even if you cut it and look into the cross section, you can see that even the unevenness of the minced grains is reproduced.

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
It's hard to feel that the minced grains are uneven.

If you don't know if you have to try it, first take a bite. The texture is completely that of a hamburger steak. The eyes are a little clogged, but there is also a feeling that the minced meat crumbles on the tongue. Furthermore, the rich demiglace sauce with fruit and vegetable flavors appealed to the sense of taste and smell, and the first impression was still an ordinary hamburger steak.

However, after chewing for a while, a clear difference appears. It's gravy. There is no umami of the gravy that overflows from the inside. It's good to eat, but it's very different from minced beef and pork. If you feel unsatisfied, sprinkle spices such as black pepper to make it tingling.

Cheese demiglace type

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
Meat-free hamburger cheese demiglace type

Next is Zero Meat meat-free hamburger cheese demiglace type. After all, you can eat it just by heating it in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
It looks the same as the demiglace type

The place on the plate is similar to the demiglace type, but when you cut it, white "cheese" comes out from the inside, showing a vivid contrast with the brown sauce. Actually, this is soy milk that has been hardened.

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
"Cheese" melts. It ’s really soy milk.

When I try to eat it, the texture of cheese as well as hamburger is just like the real thing. It has a moderate stickiness, but as soon as you chew it with minced meat, it crumbles in your mouth. However, it does not have the unique aroma of dairy cheese and has a much milder flavor.

The richness of the demiglace sauce creates a hamburger steak, and it goes well with cheese. It has enough food to eat as a side dish of rice.

Sausage type

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
Sausage type

Finally, try the sausage type. Both the crispy skin on the outside and the body packed tightly inside are elaborate dishes that are plant-based.

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
Highly reproducible with crunchy grains

Cut the chopsticks of the package a little and heat it in the microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds, and you're ready to go. When you put it on a plate, a strong smoke will rise and you will feel like a sausage. When you insert a knife, the texture is the same as a sausage made with meat. The cross section is completely indistinguishable, such as where there are crunchy grains.

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
Impression like fish sausage without habit

However, when I grab it, the difference becomes clear immediately. Since this is not soaked in demiglace sauce, the presence or absence of fat and gravy can be clearly confirmed with the tongue. A refreshing flavor and texture like fish sausage without habit. It is recommended to add plenty of mustard and ketchup to taste just after the light night.

Otsuka Foods "Zero Meat"
Plenty of ketchup

Overall, all three types of Zero Meat were almost indistinguishable from meat in terms of texture and texture, but the flavor was very light. According to the package description, the calories are lower than the meat. The most recommended is the hamburger demiglace type. Satisfaction is high when the sauce is entwined.