'식물성 고기' 시장을 잡아라...실제 맛은?<br /><br />With an increasing number of Koreans embracing vegetarian diets, more plant-based 'meat' products are being introduced to the country.<br />And companies have been working to mimic not only the taste and texture of meat, but also the juiciness.<br />Park Se-young has more. <br />The patties sizzling on the grill are made out of plants, …with their main ingredient being pea protein.<br />At this burger joint, veggie burgers are usually ordered by vegetarians and foreign customers.<br />"We're offering an option for customers who have trouble digesting beef, do not like beef, or are looking for healthy food."<br /> According to industry sources, about ten-thousand packages of the meat-free patty product made by a plant-based food company in the U.S. …were sold in just one month after being introduced to Korean consumers in March.<br />And Korea's Lotte Food has recently launched plant-based nuggets made of wheat protein.<br />They're said to have preserved not only the taste and texture of chicken, …but also meat juices using plant-based oil.<br />"Because the nuggets are made of plant-based protein, they have high protein content and low fat and calories. They also do not contain cholesterol."<br />Vegan patties made using beans have been shunned by many in the past because their texture is different from actual meat.<br />While it's still difficult for meat substitutes to resemble the actual thing, …companies have been working to create a meat-like taste and texture by using vegetable protein and ingredients like fiber and yeast.<br />According to the Korea Vegetarian Union, one to one-and-a-half million Koreans are estimated to be vegetarians, …which is more than ten times the 150-thousand vegetarians in 2008.<br />And with more people looking for food that's good for both the body and the environment, industry experts expect sales of plant-based meat substitutes to rapidly increase in the near future.<br />Park Se-young, Arirang News. <br />
