Due to various health and environmental reasons, we can see more and more people switching to a plant-based diet over the years. This has subsequently increased the demand for meat alternatives to include protein in our diet. While almonds, dal, chickpeas, tofu etc have been fulfilling our daily quota of protein for aeons, we can also see the increasing popularity of 'mock meat' across the world. Mock meat is basically a meat-like substance, made from plants, that has the same texture as original meat. Researchers, health experts and chefs are constantly experimenting with different ingredients to get that exact meaty texture out of it.
One such experiment that grabbed our attention is mock meat made with air and soil. Yes, you read it right! Popular South Indian actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who follows a plant-based diet, recently took to her Instagram handle to share a story featuring scientists in Finland making meat-free schnitzel from air and soil. For the unversed, schnitzel is basically meat fried in fat. The original video was shared on the official website of the World Economic Forum.
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Here's How The Meat-Free Schnitzel Is Made
As per the video, the researchers take liquid organisms from soil and feed them with carbon-di-oxide (CO2), hydrogen and other nutrients. Over time these microorganisms grow a new protein, known as solein. Solein is tasteless and can be grounded to nutritious flour and put to many uses.
The video further states that besides meat-free schnitzel, we can also use solein as a replacement for palm oil in yogurt, biscuits and breads and as a substitute for soya in cattle free.
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How Solein Is Environment-Friendly, As Per The Researchers:
- Using solein could help reduce deforestation.
- It could be used as a medium for cultured meat or fish.
- Growing microbial protein may decrease water usage. It needs 10 times less water than soy or soy products.
- Lab-grown food might help reduce global gas emissions and need less land for production.
Click here to see the complete video.