The Impossible Burger Goes Mainstream

Last June we reported on the Orthodox Union's kosher certification of the Impossible Burger, the closest approximation of a real beef burger ever. 

Until now it has been a niche product, available only in a limited number of kosher and non-kosher restaurants. Every month more restaurants are adding it to their menus.

The product is really going mainstream with yesterday's announcement (not an April Fool joke) in the media that Burger King is adding Impossible Whoppers to their menu in their St. Louis locations, with plans to take it nationwide later this year. White Castle is already offering Impossible sliders in their locations.

So why is the Orthodox Union (OU) certifying this vegetarian burger if you can't get it in kosher restaurants? Well, you can in a few restaurants scattered around the U.S., but the big news is that Impossible Foods is planning to distribute their patties with a new improved recipe to supermarkets later this year. 

Right now it's available in five restaurants in Teaneck, NJ, and three in Manhattan. Impossible Foods includes a search field on its website so you can search for one in your area. 

In this video, Danielle Renov, a food blogger at PeasLovenCarrots, joins with the OU in cooking up an Impossible Cheeseburger.  Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

OU Certifies Kosher Impossible Cheeseburger, But Where Can You Find It?

According to the website of the Orthodox Union, the kosher certification agency has given its certification to the Impossible Burger, a meatless creation that mimics the taste and look of a beefburger and even "bleeds" like the real thing.

The OU website says:

As kosher Jews, the cheese burger, or even eating dairy following a burger, have always been off limits. That is, until Tuesday, May 22, when Impossible Foods partnered with the OU to certify their Impossible Burgers as OU Kosher’s newest kosher products.
The Impossible Foods Company differentiates itself from other vegetarian companies by making especially authentic tasting meat, cheese and fish that can fool even the sharpest tongues.

The Impossible Burger, their first kosher product, is made using wheat, coconut oil, potatoes, and special ingredient, Heme, a molecule that gives the burger its meaty taste. Heme contains iron and can be found in every single plant and animal. The Heme molecule in plant based Heme is identical to the Heme molecule found in meat. That’s what allows for the richness of the Impossible Burger.

What chefs say differentiates the Impossible Burger from other veggie burgers is simple: the Impossible Burger really does bleed like a meat-based burger.

“Getting Kosher certification is an important milestone,” said Impossible Foods CEO and Founder Dr. Patrick O. Brown. “We want the Impossible Burger to be ubiquitous, and that means it must be affordable and accessible to everyone–including people who have food restrictions for religious reasons.”

With this meat free technology, kosher Jews can finally enjoy a burger with whatever toppings they want, including cheese!

It sounds great, but where can you find it? It's not yet available in supermarkets -- only in select (so far not kosher) restaurants. According to Dani Klein, creator of the YeahThat'sKosher website, the only kosher restaurant that carries the product is Shilo's in Los Angeles.

The downside?
Shiloh’s is a meat restaurant.

Much of the excitement for the Impossible Burger was to mimic the taste and texture of real meat and add real cheese for a near-authentic cheeseburger. Shiloh’s can’t offer that unfortunately.

Numerous kosher restaurants around the country are testing the Impossible Burger in their restaurants, and YeahThatsKosher will be updated as more kosher places add this hot new item to the menu.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.