The Taste of the Future: Trying ‘Cell-Cultivated’ Chicken for the First Time

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When I informed my friends and family that I was investigating the world’s first chicken meat grown from animal cells, their initial reaction was, “Eww.” However, their curiosity quickly shifted to a more pressing question: “How does it taste?”

The succinct response (one that we’ve all heard in various contexts): It tastes like chicken.

This is chicken that doesn’t originate from a live chicken, but rather meat that will soon be available as “cell-cultivated” chicken, following the recent approval by the U.S. Agriculture Department for two California companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, to sell it.

Beyond the novelty of tasting the initial products of a new era in meat production, which aims to eradicate the harm inflicted on billions of animals slaughtered for food while significantly reducing the environmental impact of animal agriculture, there is an intriguing and exhilarating aspect.

CONFRONTING THE “MEAT PARADOX”

As a lifelong meat eater, I am familiar with the “meat paradox,” a term used by scientists to describe the psychological conflict experienced by individuals who enjoy consuming meat but prefer not to dwell on the animals that died to provide it.

Having reported on food-borne illnesses and slaughterhouse safety, I am acutely aware that the chicken on my dinner plate likely endured suffering. This realization unsettles me when I ponder it too deeply. Consequently, I was open to trying an alternative kind of meat, while also curious to ascertain if it would genuinely resemble the real thing.

I have previously sampled plant-based options like Beyond Meat sausages and Impossible Burgers, and although I found them enjoyable, I didn’t consider them flawless substitutes. The Beyond Meat sausage, to be frank, had a good taste but a slightly grainy texture, while the Impossible Burger was somewhat dry, possibly due to my overcooking. In both cases, I appreciated the flavor of the products but remained aware that I wasn’t consuming actual pork or beef.

What about the artificiality of it all? I wasn’t bothered by the fact that this new cultured meat is produced from cells that proliferate in large steel vats before being shaped and formed—perhaps the less fortunate verb choice—into familiar cutlets, fillets, and nuggets that would fit seamlessly on any dinner table.

Ultimately, like all food, it all comes down to taste. And, in this case, to the fundamental question at hand: Is this new material genuinely chicken, or is it an imposter?

TIME FOR THE CRUCIAL TASTE TEST

In January, I visited the Upside Foods manufacturing plant in Emeryville, California. There, Chef Jess Weaver sautéed a cultivated chicken breast in a white wine butter sauce with tomatoes, capers, and green onions.

The aroma was enticing, reminiscent of any filet cooked in butter. The taste was light and delicate, with a tender texture, just like any chicken breast I might prepare at home—if, of course, I were a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America.

Recently, I toured the Good Meat facility in Alameda, California, where production of their chicken products is about to commence. Chef Zach Tyndall presented a smoked chicken salad with mayonnaise, golden raisins, and walnuts. This was followed by a chicken “thigh” dish—dark meat served on a bed of potato puree with a mushroom-vegetable demi-glace, golden beets, and petite purple cauliflower florets.

The taste was richer than that of a chicken breast, resembling the dark meat of a thigh. The texture was both tender and slightly chewy, as one would expect from a well-cooked chicken thigh.

According to Tyndall, that is the primary objective: to make it as lifelike as possible for broader acceptance.

While “lifelike” is an intriguing term, from my perspective as a consumer, I believe this concept will gain traction. There are undoubtedly significant obstacles to overcome—such as scaling up production, reducing costs, and the lingering question of whether chicken without the bird can genuinely be considered chicken. However, if we base the evaluation on authentic taste, I conclude with this request:

“Please pass the ‘chicken.'”

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The Big Big News Health and Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP bears full responsibility for all content. Follow Big Big News journalist JoNel Aleccia on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JoNel_Aleccia

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about cell-cultivated meat

More about cell-cultivated meat

• Upside Foods (formerly Memphis Meats): Website
• Good Meat: Website
• Beyond Meat: Website
• Impossible Foods: Website
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Website
• Culinary Institute of America: Website
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Website
• Twitter – JoNel Aleccia: Profile