The difference between a meat substitute, sometimes called a meat analog, and fake meat, is one of both intention and outcome.

A meat substitute is generally some type of culinary creation intended to replace meat in a dish

that would typically contain meat, or a protein of some sort which sates that particular

component of a person's hunger and checks that box on their health-related

scorecard. In other words, a meat substitute is swapped in for meat and generally replicates

some aspects of meat's character, whether that means its flavor, texture, appearance,

or just its vitamin and mineral profile. But such foods can also be fairly far afield from

seeming at all like meat, and still fall into this category. Falafel, for instance, is a bean

fritter, and probably wouldn't appear to be meat to anyone who's eating it. You know that you are

eating falafel when you are eating falafel, but it often

fills the role that meat would otherwise fill in a variety of Middle Eastern dishes. Fake meat,

on the other hand, is a term generally reserved for a meat substitute that is going far out of its

way, to seem like meat, to perhaps even successfully stand in for meat without

the consumer of the dish, knowing that a swap has been made.

Plant-based hamburger patties, meat, mince, chicken tenders, these would all fall into this

category, as would vegan sausages or hot dogs, made of some combination of soy protein,

tofu, satan, nuts, lentils,

vegetables, or other non-animal proteins, all wrapped together in the same form factor as an

animal-based version of the same, and in some cases tasting quite similar as well.

I did an episode of this show last year about soybeans, in which I touched on a big story

that had just emerged at the time regarding milk and meat and how non-animal-based analogs of these

substances were being challenged in court by their animal-based brethren, who were, perhaps rightfully,

...