Trying out plant-based meat inspired by the Alpha-Gal Crisis, a simulation scenario from the Urgent Optimist

As I played with The Alpha-Gal Crisis, the year 2035, a simulation scenario from the Urgent Optimist, I thought about all the things meat that is a part of my everyday diet. Chicken meat, pork, beef, goat, mollusks, cephalopods, vegetables, and fruits. Hmm… Did I miss anything?

Can you account for all the natural foods you consume?

Well, what is Alpha-Gal Syndrome, anyway?

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Alpha-gal (galactose-α-1,3-galactose) is a sugar molecule found in most mammals.
• Alpha-gal is not found in fish, reptiles, birds, or people.
• Alpha-gal can be found in meat (pork, beef, rabbit, lamb, venison, etc.) and products made from mammals (including gelatin, cow’s milk, and milk products).

So, in The Alpha-Gal Crisis simulation scenario, we travel to 2035 and see what it would be like to live in that future. No way! We’re still in a pandemic, and you’re saying we go imagine a new one? Well, so much for all the things we used to think unthinkable and unimaginable!

Here’s what the scenario looks like:

Okay, so back to the simulation scenario from the Urgent Optimists.

Thinking about what this future would look like, especially when I really like to eat pork humba, I would like to explore plant-based meat if they are the kind that would be safe to eat in this kind of future.

Would I be ready for the substitute?

I don’t have many choices for off-the-shelf plant-based meat from where I live. You can only buy either Beyond Meat or Boca in our nearby supermarket. Mind you, they are not cheap here compared with buying a kilo of meat. But because I want to play out the simulation scenario as if I am in 2035, I went on to try one which costs less than the other.

Doesn’t it look appetizing?

How was the experience?

The meat is actually tender, and it’s incredible how it smells like meat! And to the taste, I can even feel something squishy like fat. If I just eat it by itself, I can recognize that it’s not the kind of burger with real meat. But when I ate it in a bun with some onion and tomato, I did not notice any difference.

Would I recommend it?

Definitely yes! If you’re just out there to try something new, buying the Boca would be worth your money. If you have tried other brands, let me know what they were like for you! You can always reach me out here.

Actually, if not for the simulation scenario at the Urgent Optimists, I wouldn’t be here writing this to you. However, if you’re curious about what we do at the Urgent Optimists, you can check my dedicated blog post here. And if you’ve already heard it from me several times and would like to join our global community, you can register here.

I hope to see you there!