But would you eat it?

[Richard]

The world hasn't enough land to supply feed-stuff to rear livestock animals, which are then used to feed the human population, for very much longer.
We are already cutting down some extremely valuable rainforests in Brazil, just to harvest the soya needed to feed our animals.
There is a move afoot to breed ordinary house-flies and then to harvest their hatchling maggots, which, after processing, can be used to add extra protein to bulk out the dwindling supplies of soya.
Pigs and hens don't seem to mind at all.
But would you mind eating them for breakfast?

The keywords here are protein-rich animal feed sources, Soya is protein-rich and maggots are protein-rich.

It seems a bit disgusting at first, but hey! the Chinese seem blatantly gross, eating locusts and spiders on kebab sticks.
I' think 'vegetarian' has some instant appeal right now


The PROteINSECT project is an European Union initiative, coordinated by the UK Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), that would legalize the use of insects as an alternative protein source in feed for industrial farming.
http://www.proteinsect.eu/

[number9]

KFC is planning to sell the "meat of the future" by using 3D printing technology to create the world's first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets.

[seahermit]

You would think humanity had learned its lesson from all the health problems resulting from convenient, processed food and the lack of natural nutrients. I'm not saying that laboratory-produced food is necessarily bad - but how much research has gone into exploring the long-term effects of years of eating that kind of diet?

The diets which human stomachs have become accustomed to have been evolved over centuries with much trial and error - even now, scientists don't know all the reasons why some foods are good for you and others cause problems e.g. gluten intolerance. One theory used to be that humans only "recently" in anthropological terms began harvesting and eating cereals and had not fully evolved the enzymes needed to break down the proteins. But that was not true - humans have been growing cereals since the beginnings of civilisation, whereas gluten intolerance is a modern phenomenen, unheard of in my childhood and now a massive dietary issue. And it is more prevalent in the West than the East, therefore some kind of cultural factors involved?

The point is that a great deal of caution is needed before embarking on significant changes to our long-accustomed diets. The real problem is there are too many humans .. also that we are eating too much meat. Greek diets have always been quoted as being amongst the healthiest in the world - not a predominance of meat but instead, fruit, vegetables, fish etc. Maybe that's why Sophocles et alia lived into their eighties!

[seahermit]

I bought a KFC meal years ago - the sauce it floated in frankly stank and the whole taste was nauseating. I took a couple of bites and threw it away.

People pile HP sauce and other pungent things onto their food - there was a guy in the Wetherspoon pub of whom we used to say that he had ordered some food with his plate of sauce!

But a well-cooked meal of natural ingredients shouldn't need ANY sauces to enliven it - the basic flavours should be appetising enough, if you are properly hungry. I do like a dash of black pepper though.

[Richard]

'But a well-cooked meal of natural ingredients shouldn't need ANY sauces to enliven it'.

Try convincing the French of that!
They use sauces to complement the food.
Plus
Have you not watched any of the competing chef TV programs?

[UncleB]

I have to say a lot of UK meat (especially beef) is quite bland and needs a lot of seasoning to tast of anthing much.
Salt is an obvious one but too much is very bad for you.
Pepper is good too but gets hot if too mcuh is used.
Some herbs also help a lot but then you are tasting them rather than the underlying food.
Spices are a tricky balance and often completetly change the underlying flavour too.

I lived in Brazil for quite a few years and a basic cut of beef from the butchers with just a little salt and pepper is delicious, even for a cheap cut. Admittedly they have a quite different type of cow there (more a longhorn cow like you see in cowboy films) rather than the Hereford and Ayrshire breeds that seem to makup most of the UK livestock.

It is understandable that people need to add all sorts of flavourings to make our staple meats palateable.

I've got into the habit of ordering beef from a London based Brazilian butcher and freezing it until needed - it is just so much tastier than what I get here from restaurants even.

Sauces do have their uses though - they create quite different flavours to give variety and interest to food.

Just my 2p worth

[Richard]

Also meals are somewhat dry without a relish or sauce.
It need not be hot or spicy, it should complement the food instead of masking it surely!
I am not a big fan of gravy but it has its place with roast beef and Yorkshire pud, plus roast potatoes.
Food swimming in gravy (or curry sauce) would be too much.
I can agree on that.

[seahermit]

I have to agree that the quality of the meat in high-street shops is generally pretty poor and would be unappetizing without some sort of additives. But indeed the sauce should complement the meal, not smother it with inappropriate flavours! That's what I meant really.

I love French cuisine, but it is all about subtlety and delicate flavours. French people I have known turned their noses up at plain English fare .. the only thing they often loved was "feesh and cheeps"!

I use herbs, a cautious amount of spices, if I make a sauce/gravy, it works better if it is thin, to let the rest of the dish speak for itself.

I went to San Malo once, ate seafood dishes in one of those restaurants under the old city walls. The sauces were indescribably delicious- I seriously considered selling my soul to the Devil in return for more of the same.

[number9]

Quote from seahermit :
"But a well-cooked meal of natural ingredients shouldn't need ANY sauces to enliven it - the basic flavours should be appetising enough "

I must admit when I saw those words I agreed with Richard, however you have come back and said " But indeed the sauce should complement the meal, not smother it with inappropriate flavours! That's what I meant really."
And also said " I love French cuisine, but it is all about subtlety and delicate flavours."
Thank you for returning and giving your earlier post more clarity....I mainly agree

BUT I also think that sometimes the sauce or gravy makes the meal when you have to eat some of the vegan foods like Quorn sausages on their own !

[Richard]

I thought I was going to get told off again!

I can't eat trout without watercress sauce - lovely
I can't eat cod on it's own, it needs a sauce, it's too bland otherwise, I prefer a creamy sauce rather than a tomato or pepper spicy sauce. Battered fish is another matter, it doesn't really need any sauce.
Hake - lemon & herb butter or a white wine sauce.

As kids we loved cod and parsley sauce, probably other varieties were too expensive.