The pandemic is obviously creating many downsides for Thanksgiving this year. But one overlooked upside is that it will be much easier to eat what you really want to for the holidays without judgment. If you’re vegetarian, vegan or just cutting back on animal products, this is the perfect year to experiment with vegan meats without any hassle from the family. Plant-based meat producer Prime Roots is offering some special choices.
If you’re craving plant-based versions of traditional foods like garlicky mashed potatoes or balsamic and bacon Brussels sprouts, Prime Roots will send them to you all cooked and ready to reheat. The Prime Roots Turkey Special even has something most vegan turkeys lack: legs. Yep, Prime Roots has fashioned little legs onto your mock bird so it looks much like its traditional meaty cousins.
Related: 7 tips for a sustainable Thanksgiving celebration
The secret to all Prime Roots’ flavor is koji, a substance sometimes called Japan’s national mold. Even if you’ve never heard of it, you’ve almost surely consumed some. The mold is added to cooked grains like barley or rice, then paired with a second product to become substances such as soy sauce, miso or sake. The result is a satisfying umami flavor. If you’re having a holiday away from your most carnivorous family members, this is the best year to try this. Remember when they were skeptical about that tofu dish you brought to the family party? You really don’t want to explain koji. Although this turkey does look and sound delicious enough to tempt meat-eaters, too.
The folks at Prime Roots have a lot of goals, including making the food system more equitable and inclusive, educating people about decreasing their meat consumption and manufacturing nutritious, protein-filled products without the greenhouse gas emissions or cholesterol of real meat.
“At Prime Roots, we make meals that matter for our planet, and for our connection to each other and food,” co-founder Kimberlie Le says on the Prime Roots website. “I hope that one day we’ll be able to feed millions if not billions of people our delicious and sustainable foods. We’ll know that we are successful when every person on the planet has access to clean water and delicious and nutritious foods.”
Check out the Prime Roots website for the new, seasonal meals, side dishes and limited-time holiday specials.
Images via Prime Roots
