As Thanksgiving arrives in the US, many families will be getting ready to sit down to a glorious turkey dinner tomorrow (November 23).
But plenty of others will be going for a non-meat alternative that has become a tradition in itself: a Tofurky roast.
The turkey substitute consists of a tofu and wheat ‘masa’ wrapped around a wild rice stuffing and has become a staple for veggies and vegans across the US.
In each 10-hour shift at the Tofurky factory in Oregon, workers make 6,000 holiday roasts ready for the big day, and since it was first invented in 1980 it’s thought an estimated 7.5 million roasts have been sold.
But some have been put off a bit after seeing how the plant-based roast is manufactured.
The process first involves four people making the dough of tofu and wheat, known as ‘masa’, which is mixed with canola oil, water and savory seasonings.
Another worker is tasked with making the wild rice stuffing, by mixing breadcrumbs, celery, onion, carrot, leek and other seasonings.
And another employee must then assemble the ingredients for the Tofurky’s dry seasoning mix, the Washington Post reports.
The two mixtures are then combined in an industrial procedure which sees the stuffing and masa funneled through two tubes. One of the tubes is within the other, allowing the two separate mixtures to be pressed out around each other at the same time.
Once cooked and refrigerated the packages are then boxed into their final consumer packaging for shipment.
A single Tofurky roast can feed about five and retails for $13.50.
Commenting on a video of the process, one person simply said: “Ick.”
Another said: “This is how you never host Thanksgiving again.”
On social media, someone else wrote: “Gross” with another commenting “Just no.”
Another unimpressed viewer penned: “That doesn’t look fit for human consumption.”
“That is the saddest and most depressing thing I’ve seen in a while,” one user commented.
Tofurky has faced calls from some to produce a gluten-free version of the product, but non-meat eating Americans have grown to love the product.
The company admits Tofurky doesn’t taste much like turkey at all, but says this is part of what customers love about the product,
Turtle Island Foods CEO Jaime Athos said: “I think there’s a little risk in getting too close to the exact eating experience of meat.
“There’s that notion of the uncanny valley: When something’s close, but not quite, it’s worse than being noticeably away from the goal.
:For us, it’s more about, ‘Does it eat well? Is it a satisfying and flavorful eating experience?’ That’s so much more on our minds than ‘Is it exactly the same as meat?'”
Related links:
Vegans slam Sainsbury’s ‘disgusting’ Christmas card with pigs in blankets joke
Kebab shop worker reveals what happens to doner meat after closing time
