I have an uneasy relationship with mock meats, as I imagine many vegetarians do. They’re not as good as real meat, and I would never tell a meat-eater that they’re a fair substitute, but many are close enough to fool my mouth and my brain. I had lunch today at Java Green, a mostly-vegan sandwich shop, where I had a “ham,” “turkey,” and “cheese” sandwich. It’s been a few months since I’ve had any mock meat — I don’t usually cook with it; it tends to be expensive, and it’s rare to find in restaurants. My sandwich was delicious. I was more than fooled — I had to keep peering at the pink layers between the bread and lettuce, convincing myself once again that they hadn’t snuck in real ham. So it was satisfying, on one level, but made me nervous on another. As a vegetarian, I’ve sworn off meat entirely, and while mock meat carries no moral stigma, it’s a confusing distinction for my taste buds.
Taste buds: Mmmm, meat.
Brain: Meat?!?
Taste buds: Tastes like meat… but, oh no! Not supposed to eat meat! What have we done?
Brain: It’s ok, they people in the store said it isn’t really meat.
Taste buds: Ok, then. It sure is tasty. Mmm, meat. Are you sure they didn’t lie?
And so forth.
Vegetarian food is its own unique style of cooking, and one that I happen to like. I don’t think a meal is necessarily missing anything if it lacks a central course of animal flesh (I know some people feel differently, and that’s part of why I’m vegetarian and they aren’t). At this point in my life, after almost three years as a strict vegetarian and two more as a mostly-vegetarian, I rarely have meat cravings like I used to. It also helps to be aware that I’d probably be physically ill if I ate a real ham sandwich, since it’s been so long since my body has digested animal protein.
(A side note: let me be clear that I have no problem with other people eating meat around me. I have great respect for anyone who educates themselves about the social and environmental consequences of meat-eating, and thinks about how much meat to include in their diet. And I’m understanding of those who don’t care to know where their food comes from. I’ll respect your dietary choices if you respect mine.)
Why mock meat? Why eat stuff that my hero Michael Pollan would lump with McDonald’s Hamburgers and Twinkies under the “not food” category? Because, like many vegetarians, I know that meat tastes good. I was an omnivore for 21 years — I haven’t forgotten what it tastes like! Because sometimes, even when I’m satisfied with veggie fare, I miss the flavor of ham or chicken. And most of all, because it makes me feel normal. At a barbecue, I can eat a soy dog just like other people are eating hot dogs — it’s not “that vegetarian food,” but something that looks and feels like what everyone else has. At a normal restaurant, there are often only one or two vegetarian options, a half dozen at most (caprese, anyone?); imagine going to Java Green and choosing from a whole menu of sandwiches that anyone can eat! It’s immensely satisfying.
So, no, I wouldn’t make a habit of mock meat, but when I’m in the mood, I’ll eat my veggie ham sandwich with great pleasure.