Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat introduced the world to alt meat that tastes, feels, and even bleeds like the real deal. Now, a new product is swimming into the alternative meat market: plant-based shrimp. Created by the San Francisco based company, New Wave, the product mirrors the flavors and texture of the world’s most popular seafood. Tyson Foods is a prominent investor in the start-up and hopes the seaweed-infused product will capture the attention of chefs who often struggle to price shrimp on menus due to its volatile market cost.
As opposed to burgers, which are often adorned with condiments, shrimp recipes typically have fewer complementary flavors to distract the consumer, and New Wave says creating alternative meat able to stand alone in terms of flavor and consistency was the main concern. This successful jump into the alternative shellfish market opens up new doors in the world of meat substitution and could pave the way for even more varieties of environment-friendly alt-animal products. If even the world’s most unique flavors and textures of shrimp can be replicated in a plant-based and economically efficient way, the potential for other alternatives could be jumbo.
