Meat alternatives

Reality is, vegetable diet is enveloping the whole world not just because of the many nutrients that one would get from such a diet, but also because meat is the number one cause of disease in the world.

For a starting vegetarian, it could not be helped if at times you would crave for that juicy piece of meat. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Ever heard of the malunggay joke?

The joke reflects at how we look at people whose diet is mainly on vegetables. Some believe it to be a poor man’s diet, and as such, being in constant state of denial, we laden our tables with all kinds of meat giving us the reputation to be meat-mad Filipinos.

Reality is, vegetable diet is enveloping the whole world not just because of the many nutrients that one would get from such a diet, but also because meat is the number one cause of disease in the world. Spell: atherosclerosis, intestinal parasites, cardiovascular accident, and the list goes on.

Meat lovers who think they miss the texture of meat, however, need not fret as the market is loaded with alternatives that can easily be disguised as, well, meat. One time, on invitation from a friend, I went to Joven’s Grill in Osmeña Blvd. for lunch and realized that their Chicken Mechado has loads of Meat Magic! My friends, of course, were not aware of this and they savored the dish believing that they were enjoying pork, beef or whatever they thought it was. They simply believed it to be meat.

If cooked properly, meat alternatives can pass for meat. Here is a rundown of all the meat alternatives I’ve discovered in my almost six years of indulging in vegetables.

Tofu or tokwa? Either way they’re the same. Both are made from soy beans. It is of two kinds — firm and silky tofu. The latter is best for sauce as it is softer in texture. Should you wish to make vegetarian mayonnaise this would be best. Either way you can cook them in the same manner. You can get these at your local vegetable market or supermarket. Another soya derived product is the Yoba (tofu skin), which is great when sautéed in tomato. It tastes like scrambled eggs. Others want it deep fried and crispy like chicharon. Yoba can be found at Sian Tian Temple (Banilad).

Meat Magic, created by Cebuano inventor and philanthropist, Engr. Go Ching Hai, is an excellent source of vegetable protein and fiber. It is made of protein from soya, corn and wheat. The only challenge when using this is its aftertaste. You must wash it thoroughly before you use it to remove any smell. You can buy these in almost any grocery store.

Vegetarian hotdog, ham, mock chicken nuggets and other mock processed meat (including bacon!). You can get these at Vege Mart (Gorordo) or at Sian Tian Temple. You can cook them just like the way you cook your hotdog, ham, bacon or what have you. They also have mock salmon, chicken wings, abalone, lamb’s leg, and many others. These can be a bit expensive, but a little indulgence would sometimes divert our attention from missing that piece of baby back for lunch.

Gluten. The essential vegetarian meat ingredient. It’s bland and odorless. It is made from washed flour boiled for an hour or two. The process is time and labor intensive, but still it’s cheaper than a kilo of beef. Its flavor depends on how you cook it, so if you’re a good cook you may just win the hearts of meat-loving people, but if you’re still starting to cook, well you get the picture. Sian Tian Temple and the cafeteria at Miller’s Hospital (Tres de Abril) sell this stuff. At the Sian Tian Temple you can also get these pre-cooked and crispy. If onions and garlic are a no no for you then you’d better get your gluten at Sian Tian.

Vegetables, rootcrops, fresh produce. Believe it or not vegetables are the best meat alternatives. One time, I saw one of my friends fry monggo patties. It was perfect! You would never know that it was not meat. The technique is to spice up the monggo while boiling it. Boil it until you barely have water on the pot and then you cool it down. Then scoop it into patties and drop in hot oil. You can also do this with mashed potato (you can add cheese if you want), and basically any mashed rootcrops. The puso sa saging can also be an excellent burger patty.