On the surface, it would seem that the meatless burgers would be a natural for the kosher consumer since the kosher certified product is pareve and can be eaten with dairy. Non-kosher chains are quickly adding the products for health reasons as shortages are being reported for both Impossible and Beyond.
Both Impossible (OU) and Beyond (Star-K) are claiming their products contain less cholesterol and saturated fats than meat. But kosher food sources say that while plant-based replacement products have been around a long time, “they are legitimately not giving meat a run for the money.”
Some kosher foodies say that the meatless burgers are yet another example of how kosher often lags behind general food trends, witness sushi which took years to take hold and foods like ramen that are still distant for most kosher consumers.
“We ultimately get there but we frequently crawl rather than leap,” one expert said.
Some restaurants said that they simply could not get the products as it appears that there is a real shortage. One example is Benny’s Brick Oven Pizza which was the first restaurant in Crown Heights to add the parve Impossible Burger to its menu, but is now waiting for the supplier to provide more.
The impossible burger price in a kosher restaurant compared to it’s price in a non kosher restaurant is pretty extreme, just like many other types of food.
Why would it be more expensive in a kosher restaurant?
Because you still have the overhead of paying for kosher supervision and for the higher standards of cleanliness (ie checking for bugs) needed for any vegetables that are being served with it.
kosher restaurants have to close on shabbos, which is when the rest of the country has the time off to go out to eat. Motzaei Shabbos is often too late for dinner so they have to really have to count on Sunday
I would definitely buy the impossible burger but it’s just so expensive that I can’t spend that much
They provide minimal health benefits
What do you mean…just go to Pho Men in Crown Heights. In general, the answer to any question is just go to Crown Heights!
Because it doesn’t taste good.
Yeah it’s not there-there yet, but it’s *way* better then those original soy attempts. I did try Beyond, and I like it. Texture and taste are there, but there is a slight whiff of coconut oil there too. I think people need to try and see for themselves.
Beyond is under OK, not Star K.
It’s more expensive than real meat. Not just restaurants but retail stores too
I would give it a try but it was selling for the same or more as regular meat!