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For years, the "Tofurkey" seemed like some sort of make-believe food item and I pictured blocks of tofu stuck together and carved into a giant turkey shape. This particular mental image was smashed the day I first spotted an actual Tofurkey at the market. The product is a 100% vegan roast made out of tofu and vital wheat gluten (this is the combination, with seasonings, is known as "Tofurkey"), stuffed with a brown rice stuffing and accompanied by a side of "giblet and mushroom gravy," which contains more Tofurkey, mushrooms and a variety of seasonings, oils and thickeners.
I decided that I'd give it a try and see what it was like. After all - how bad could it be?
I opted to follow the basic directions that came on the box, although I later discovered that there was a "Tofurkey Roast Cooking Contest" winning recipe on the bottom that involved a reasonably tasty sounding cherry relish, which sounded somewhat better than the standard. I opened up the box, expecting to find a box-sized roast. Instead, I found this:
There was more gravy than roast. The roast, rolled up like a sausage, was about six inches long and was meant to serve 6 people. The gravy was supposed to have 6.5 2-tbsp servings, but it looked as though there was easily twice that amount.
Surprisingly, the roast looked almost exactly the same once I removed the casing. The primary difference between the wrapped and unwrapped states was the lack of text on the side of the unwrapped version. I put it in a casserole dish with some vegetables and mixed up a batch of the "basting liquid" (3 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp ground sage). The directions were to baste the roast, then bake it for about 75 minutes covered with foil, baste again, and bake uncovered to brown before serving.
Here is the "before" shot, basted:
Here is the "after" shot:
Does that look a bit dry and leathery to you? It did to me, too.
Once I pulled the roast from the oven, I took a moment to prepare the giblet and mushroom gravy. Strangely, even though the container had been at room temperature for some time, the "gravy" seemed to be solid. Still, I popped it into the microwave, as per the directions on the box. Let me just say that the giblet and mushroom "gravy" was probably one of the more disgusting things I have ever laid eyes on. The picture here does not come close to doing justice to its grainy, slightly crumbly yet semi-gelatinous texture. On the plus side, it had no real aroma, so the overall experience could potentially have been much worse. I tossed the gravy and opted to eat the Tofurkey plain.
Getting back to the roast, here is what it looked like plated:
The center pieces of the roast looked just like the picture on the box, although the end pieces had very uneven stuffing distribution. I started tasting with the Tofurkey itself and quickly stopped. The roast appeared to have a somewhat meat-like texture, but it also had a tough, rubbery skin and a very chewy texture that seemed vaguely spongelike. It also had a strange, slightly bitter aftertaste and a strongly peppery flavor, despite the fact that the ingredients do not list pepper.
In contrast to the Tofurkey, the stuffing mixture was actually quite good. It had a distinctly nutty flavor from the brown and wild rice and a nice texture due to the mixture of ingredients that kept it from getting mushy. The spicing was very well done, too. The vegetables, of course, were also fine. It's hard not to like roasted vegetables and the fact that they were in a casserole dish with a Tofurkey seemed to have no impact on their flavor.
So, would I buy this Tofurkey roast again? I think that it would be very unlikely, as I would rather have a meal of well-prepared veggies than a sort-of turkey-flavored roast, especially if the roast has the texture of an old sponge. Vegetarians and vegans can do better than Tofurkey for Thanksgiving, but if a thoughtful relative goes out of their way to prepare one, at least try to get a piece that is mostly stuffing. I should also point out, that the stuffing is sold separately and if that version (which I have yet to see in any local stores) tastes as good as this one did, I would definitely consider picking that up once in a while.
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11-21-2006 @3:43PM Christina said... Kate, I think it's familiarity. New vegetarians know what to do with these products. They are easy. As I said before, for my first meatless Thanksgiving, I felt totally lost, and thought I'd be forgotten amid all the buttered, sugared, giblitted dishes, so for me, that year, Tofurkey was a great way to avoid being forgotten.
Now, I'd much rather make meals that don't involve substitutes or alternatives like fake steak, fake turkey, or fake pork. I like simple, fresh ingredients refined as little a possible. I have two general rules: 1) If I can't make it in my kitchen(or don't understand how it is made), I don't buy it, which is why I don't buy hydrogenated oils. 2) If it has more that ten ingredients, or ingredients I don't recognize, I don't buy it.
I think much of the "progress" the vegetarian movement has made with vegan analog products has been detrimental. I would consider foods like Tofutti "sour cream" and "cream cheese" products(which contain hydrogenated oil), Tofurky, Gimme Lean (a ground beef/sausage analog) and veggie burgers to be transitional and convience foods. The same way most people don't eat microwave burritos or Hotpockets everyday, I don't think a vegetarian should any of the heavily refined, processed foods, like meat analogs regularly. By the way, I don't consider tofu, tempeh and seitan meat analogs, while are slightly processed foods which should not be eaten everyday, they are easy to prepare in your own home, and can be a big part of a healthy diet.
In case anyone wonders what a vegan eats instead of turkey and Tofurky, for my Thanksgiving dinner this year, I think I'll be making Tempeh Marsala.
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11-21-2006 @3:47PM Kris said... On the morality question, I'm a vegan (raw right now), but it has nothing to do with morality. I wear leather, and I don't think there's anything wrong with using animal products, or other people eating animals. It's certainly not immoral for predators to eat animals, but not eating animal products is just as valid. I've eaten meat in the past, and probably will again, but it has to do with what I feel is the best thing to put in my body right now, not whether "meat is murder". I don't mean to offend anyone, but I think that's incorrect. Other animals don't make moral judgments about killing for food.
As for why vegetarians/vegans like fake meat, I think it's because they're in transition. They want to not eat meat, but also want the comfort of familiar textures and foods they used to eat. Like anything, you get used to your patterns, and when you try to change those patterns, it's good to have a stepping stone or halfway point to stop at on your way. Personally, I really don't like fake meat because it's a poor substitute. If I wanted to eat meat, I'd eat meat. Oh, and Tofurky is nasty.
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11-21-2006 @4:41PM Kate said... Thanks, Christina and Keri. That's the response I was looking for! I appreciate it.
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11-21-2006 @6:57PM Mike said... Put me down as another omnivore who's bewildered with the whole "want it to taste like something died but without the killing" idea.
A vegan lusting for Tofurkey seems a bit like me lusting for a big slab of Hufu:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hufu.
I'm sure if I served Hufu to dinner guests I'd have some explaining to do.
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11-21-2006 @10:01PM Bob Pedersen said... I'm a new vegetarian (or, perhaps, an old vegetarian that hasn't been vegetarian long!). I've been avoiding the meat analogues, partly because I'm trying to learn to take new-to-me-foods on their own terms (if that makes any sense), but also because a "tofu dog" I had a year or so ago was one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten. (I've heard that there are better brands.)
That being said, the haul from my last trip included some Boca brand cheeseburger analogues (not vegan) and some hamburger-style buns. And "comforting" was a good word for the experience. The handful of TVP I threw into some tomato soup also "felt good" somehow. Neither dish was "just like" meat: I hadn't expected it or wanted it to be. I guess foods can have associations that go pretty deep, despite whatever choices we may make.
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11-21-2006 @10:52PM Mike said... @kate:
I don't seek out imitation meats. It happens that many of the pre-packaged vegetarian and vegan options available take the form of imitation meats, however. In many cases, the convenience is a big factor - most veggie burgers are in no danger of being mistaken for beef, but given the availability of bbq grills and hamburger buns, the patty is an easy obvious choice.
As for those items that resemble animals rather than processed meat patties - eg: tofurky, unturkey, etc - they are, again, what's available - and they have the side effect of mitigating an awkward social aspect of dining with omnivores - "look! the vegetarians get to have a 'turkey', too! Isn't that cute?" This Thanksgiving, a friend of mine is taking a first stab at making a vital wheat gluten loaf from scratch. In it's store-bought form that works essentially to an unturkey. In this particular case, it'll be distinctly loaf-shaped with an oddball chewy consistency. I'm not entirely sure what to expect.
As to your curiosity - it's grounded in false assumptions. I don't choose these items for their similarities to dead animals. I choose them for their convenience.
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11-21-2006 @11:49PM Emily said... I always love it when the only way meat chewers can lambaste vegans is by saying "Oh ho ho, so you don't want to eat our sweet sweet dead bird but you want a fake one of your own, well, I never... The nerve of you Vegans... The nerve..."
Yes, it's called a "Tofurky", which I think is mostly a wacky play on words and not actually intended to dazzle us into thinking that inside the box is an anatomically correct version of the real deal. But, more to the point, how does the concept of a person who doesn't want to eat a dead turkey, but still wants to enjoy a traditional style Thanksgiving meal puzzle you so deeply?
Well, I'd wager that it doesn't at all and that you're just being obnoxious, but let's pretend for a moment that you really are concerned with a "Tofurky" buyers motivation...
Speaking solely for myself, I don't eat meat because I don't like eating dead things or agree with the commonly held belief that killing animals is dandy. I do however enjoy eating a traditional Thanksgiving meal, shocking I know, and here's this adorable little hunk of tofu that I can cook (not following the directions on the box because my way tastes far better...) and enjoy along with all the traditional Thanksgiving accouterments, just like everyone else but cruelty free.
My family and I eat our lovely meal and then move on with life. No one questions the apparently maddening paradox between not wanting a dead animal in our mouths and enjoying a, let's face it, not exactly perfect facsimile called a "Tofurky". Yes, it's a food product based on the notion that people eat turkey on Thanksgiving, but that's pretty much where it stops. I've never encountered a Vegan thrashing about in the throws of a complex moral dilemma about whether or not they dare eat a food shaped like a loaf that might be sorta like a turkey, just snarky carnivores looking for some moral or semantical highground...
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11-22-2006 @8:51AM Otter said... I've been a vegetarian for ten years or so, and I usually get some sort of fake-turkey-roast (not Tofurky, as I don't like the texture or flavor at all -- I prefer Quorn Roast). I have to regularly field questions as to why I'm such a hypocrite that I'd eschew meat but eat fake meat.
It comes down to two things: nostalgia, in that I can eat something that tastes like what my mom made at Thanksgiving but without actually eating a bird... and, most importantly, I'm eating my fake turkey with friends eating real turkey, so there's plenty of dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce, all of which are fantastic with a fake turkey but don't go so well with, say, veggie lasagna.
Don't worry about what I eat, and I won't get all preachy about the ethics of your turkey, okay?
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11-22-2006 @9:23AM Sindy said... I am not a vegan or a vegetarian ..in fact I don't even know the difference between the two. I just seems to me that maybe these people LIKE THE TASTE OF MEAT...and so what if they like it? They they are making the choice NOT TO EAT meat. We do lots of things because we think its the right thing ..not because we like it. Isn't the important thing that they stand up for their convitions because (in their mind) it's the right thing? Why must we judge others so harshly? Sounds sort of self-righteous doesn't it?
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11-22-2006 @11:01AM Otter said... Good point, Sindy -- meat is what most people grew up with, and whatever ethics we have around our food, the flavor of meat is rich, complex, and comforting, and being able to get those flavors from vegetable substitutes like soy/wheat (Tofurky) or mushrooms (Quorn) is a nice change of pace from pasta!
FYI, vegans avoid any animal products at all: they don't eat meat, eggs, or dairy; don't wear wool or leather; don't eat honey or gelatin. Vegetarians just avoid eating meat.
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11-22-2006 @4:18PM Sean said... I've been a vegetarian for about two years and a vegan for about 15 months.
It always surprises me when I read the condemnations from omnis about processed meat analogues. These products exist because we live in a culture dominated by the meat industry which has crafted a nostalgic connection with certain meat products. Part of this connection has historical roots but these have been twisted beyond any objective reality to fit the ever growing capacity of the factory farm industry to supply us with cheap, subsidized meat. Take for instance Thanksgiving itself. What started as a harvest celebration, dominated by the first attempts at European agriculture in the new world, has been in the intervening period completly changed. The Thanksgiving of today bears little resemblance to the the feasts the early European settlers enjoyed (including the type and amount of meat being served).
Therefore it shouldn't be hard to imagine that someone who has grown up steeped in such a culture will gravitate towards products that are socially acceptable. Turkey is the centerpiece of the modern Thanksgiving meal. Period. If I want to feel comfortable eating among omnis during Thanksgiving, there is a certain motivation to prepare/eat a Turkey like product. That being said I don't particularly feel inclined to do so, and my consumption of meat analogues is mainly fueled by curiosity and the unique textures they provide. A great majority of vegans would still enjoy the taste of meat, the texture of meat, and the lack of social angst of eating meating. If a convenience product provides some of that, so be it. I would argue it's little different and indeed much healthier then buying your frozen butterball turkey that is a genetic clone to every other frozen turkey in the entire supermarket, that has subsisted on genetically modified corn and soybeans since the day of its birth, and that has been injected with more growth hormone and antibiotics than you've ever had in your system. Besides you could make a "turkey" the hard way as a previous poster linked to Grogan's excellent recipes, some of which I've attempted.
If you're still interested in a processed turkey analogue, you might try last week's Washington Post food section on the subject.
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11-22-2006 @5:12PM Rebecca said... This will be my first vegetarian Thanksgiving, and I am really looking forward to it. I really love the taste of turkey, and it was definitely the most difficult meat for me to give up, and the last. (I have gradually weaned myself off of meat and fish for about 3 years, until I was completely meat-free.) Kandiss made a very good point to Kate's curiosity of why vegans/vegetarians search out meat substitutes: Because it is familiar and it tastes good. I don't feel like I need a 'death substitute', just a little more variety on my plate, and more protein options. I have been eating meat all my life, and it is difficult to immerse myself into a completely different lifestyle without some kind of familiarity. I don't expect TVP to taste the same as real pork, but I know my tastebuds will eventually adjust, and I will forget that bacon is the candy of meats. I also don't have to live with the guilt of torturing and butchering an animal with the intellect of a three year old child. Kris also made a good point about how other animals do not pass judgement on killing and eating meat. Personally, I would see nothing wrong with killing and eating animals out of necessity, if it were done in a humane way, and if it were not the number one environmental enemy on this planet. Being humane to animals meant for slaughter is just not something that happens in this world, unless it's on a private farm. Even the Jewish community recently discovered that the largest Kosher meat plant in the country was abusing animals.
When I make my Tofurky tomorrow, I plan on basting it quite often with the same cajun butter baste I used for my turkey, I will also surround it with onions, garlic, carrots and potatoes, and cover it with foil to lock in the flavor. I will be making my own veggie stuffing, as the one inside the Tofurky looks very unappealing to me...but I will still give it a try. Wish me luck!
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11-23-2006 @12:11PM Christina said... To clarify a few earlier statements: Vegans avoid all animal products including white sugar, gelatin, leather, wool, feathers, fish, dairy, eggs, chicken, etc.
However, "vegetarian" is a blanket term to which there are prefix descriptors that can be added, like ovo- (egg), lacto- (milk), pesco- (fish), and pollo- (chicken). So, a lacto vegetarian would eat dairy but no other animal products. During lent, Christian groups may switch to a pesco-vegetarian diet. The most common understanding of "vegetarian" refers to the ovo-lacto-vegetarian. These are generally people who don't want to eat meat(don't want an animal to die so that they can eat), but don't mind eating dairy and eggs, and in my experience, they don't wear leather.
However, these are just generalities, and every individual is different. Some vegetarians just abstain from the "cute" animals. Some dietary vegans (people who do it for health/diet reasons as opposed to ethical reasons) wear leather.
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11-23-2006 @7:12PM Pam said... Really? It was awful? I just had some today and it was goooooood. I'm a 7-year vegetarian, and this is the most tastey tofu product I have ever had. Did you bake yours with the gravy in it? I didn't have any "basting" instructions with my Tofurkey. The directions were to bake it for about an hour with 1/2 of the gravy, then the remaining 15 minutes with the other 1/2 of the gravy added. I also put carrots and broccoli in my casserole dish while baking. You mentioned that your Tofurkey said it serves 6, but on the photo above, and on my box, it states a serving for 4... So you may want to remove that comment about it serving 6 people. My Tofurkey came out very juicy, not leathery like yours. More and more I'm thinking you didn't follow the directions 100%... I followed them 100%, I am not a cook, and mine came out mmmm mmmm good. It made me happy of my long-term committment to a meat-free life. Happy Holidays!
Pam
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11-23-2006 @7:26PM Pam said... My apologies! You did follow directions... I did NOT follow directions. Hey, try the Tofurky again, and this time, follow MY directions. :) Put the roast and 1/2 of the gravy in a casserole dish, and load that sucker down with veggies. Next time, I will not only add just broccoli and carrots, but I will include potatoes, green beans, and anything else I can dig up. Bake it for an hour, then throw in the rest of the gravy. I agree, the gravy looked really lumpy and bumpy and gross, but so do scrambled eggs. :) I just can't get over how disgusting you said yours was. Are you a vegetarian? I've had a LOT of nasty tofu products (such as the Tofu Dogs that someone previously mentioned... By the way, yes, those are disgusting, and Morning Star makes a heck of a lot better veggie dog...), but Tofurky is truly the most tasty otfu product I've ever had. I bought mine from Trader Joes. Was yours expired perhaps? I'm visiting my mom tomorrow with the remaining half of my Tofurky. She's anxious to try it. I led her on to eating Tempeh, and she substitutes Tempeh for chicken a lot these days. (Regarding the comments about vegans and vegetarians being whacko because we "replace" meat with other items... well.... when I continue to run marathons and have more energy than ever thought possible and outlive you... I also don't have 30 pounds of rotton meat sitting in my colon.... Enjoy your steak. hahaha. It's all in fun. I'm just a goof.)
Pam
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12-23-2006 @6:18AM crzygurl said... i've never tried the tofurky roast but i do like their deli slices and brats. as for the best turkey substitute i've had, Quorn wins hands down. the Quorn roast appears similar at first glance but it is soo yummy. all you do is throw it in a pan (wrapper on), drizzle some olive oil and your favorite spices, and bake. when cut on the diagonal with a serated knife, it tastes and "feels" like the real thing. this company also makes a complete holiday kit with all the trimmings for around $20. and their breaded and "naked" cutlets are dee-lish!
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1-23-2007 @4:56PM steve,nottinghsm,uk. said... This type of prepared look alike veggie turkey is a waste of time.There is no point in trying to make Tofu look and taste like Turkey(u can get better results from "Quorn")We always,when having xmas dinner in the UK at home,eat our Brazil Nut Roast.This is encased in puff pastry and is lovely.
I always prefer to make meals using fresh ingredients anyway,I know what is going into it.The Tofurkey is bland,processed food and looks like a very ill Haggis.
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2-15-2007 @4:25PM Emily said... I've been eating Tofurkey for years and I like it. The way I prepare it is roasting it in the oven in an oven baking bag (Reynold's clear not foil) at 350 for about an hour if thawed. I place the bag in a deep ceramic pan large enough for the tofurkey, broth and the veggies. I add chopped onions, crushed fresh garlic, chopped green & red peppers, herb spices, vegetable broth, olive oil and about a cup of spaghetti sauce. I cover the tofurkey about 1/2 way or more with all those ingredients to keep it moist and basted. I sometimes add chunked raw yams also.
When I first tried Tofurkey it wasn't that great but now I prepare it the way I like it and I think it taste good, so do my doggies.
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