First off, this is not an April Fool's joke, and, second, the Miami-based fast-food giant is not going vegan, so those of you who crave beef
In Burger King's one-minute video, people
The Impossible Whopper uses an Impossible Burger instead of a beef patty, and although the Impossible Burger is vegan, the Impossible Whopper isn't: The sandwich uses mayonnaise in its test version. There's no word yet from BK how long the test will run and when (if ever) the Impossible Whopper will be available in Miami.
Made by the company Impossible Foods, the patty contain "heam," the main ingredient that Impossible uses to replicate animal products. The company starts with a protein made from the roots of soy plants. The protein, which is similar to the DNA in animal protein, is inserted into a genetically engineered yeast, which is then fermented. Instead of producing alcohol, the yeast produces the heam used to make Impossible's meat. The result is a meat substitute that cooks similarly to beef. The product also boasts a texture and taste closer to animal meat than other substitutes. Impossible Foods holds several patents on its meat substitute and the process in which it's made.
Impossible Burgers are used at many South Florida restaurants, including the Lido Bayside Grill at the Standard Hotel, GreenStreet Café in Coconut Grove, and Dolce Italian in South Beach. Chains such as Red Robin, Bar Louie, and Earl's Kitchen + Bar also offer the meat-free burger. At Cleo South Beach, a meatball tagine is served with Impossible Foods' meatballs. Though markets such as Whole Foods and Publix offer a range of meat substitutes, Impossible products are not yet available at the retail level, though about 5,000 restaurants carry the products nationwide.
This isn't the first time Impossible Foods has teamed up with a fast-food chain. White Castle introduced an Impossible slider in 2018. Eater called the $1.99 mini burger "one of America's best fast-food burgers."
