Chefs struggle to break with meat dishes
Chefs have a centuries-old tradition of using meat and other animal products that today forms an obstacle to plant-based diets. They say it is harder to cook with plant-based products than with meat, but if they can meet this challenge, they could in fact play a key role in the success of the protein transition. These are the results of research by the Consumption & Healthy Lifestyle chair group into resistance against the protein transition. The research was funded by NWO (the Dutch Research Council).
Chefs are often seen as instigators of change in food transitions and they are innovators with the skills needed to create tasty plant-based dishes. So why do most chefs continue to focus on cooking with meat and fish? According to the researchers, chefs are reluctant to cook with plants because they have built an intimate relationship with animal products. That attitude hinders them from developing plant-based alternatives. Interestingly, chefs distinguish fundamental differences in the properties of animal and vegetable products, whereby they say the former offer the most benefits. It is easier to cook a steak than to create something spectacular with a beetroot.
Animal and plant products do of course have different properties, but the researchers found that chefs’ experiences of these differences are embedded in the strong relationship they have developed with animal products over the ages, which has not happened with plant products. In other words, they are highly skilled at manipulating the properties of animal products, but less so with plant products. It could help if plant-based gastronomy gained more recognition as a prestigious cuisine that is worthy of aspiration. This would make plant-based cooking a worthy challenge for chefs and so help accelerate the protein transition.
Meat and vegetables are fundamentally different
According to the chefs interviewed, the properties of meat make it relatively easy to serve a tasty, filling and satisfying dish. Animal products are naturally rich in umami compounds, filling, fatty, have a pleasant mouth-feel, and can add depth to a dish. Plants do not have these properties, or can only develop them through the food preparation process, they say. This is why it is harder to cook with plants than with animal products. Moreover, chefs say that it takes longer to prepare meals with plant-based products; an entrecôte only needs to be grilled briefly, while a vegetarian wrap requires more work before the dish is ready to serve. The researchers discovered that cooking with vegetable products is not only made difficult because they are harder to work with, but also because the relationship between chefs and plant-based cuisine is still underdeveloped, while that with animal products is strong.
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Read the whole article on the website of Wageningen University.