A Review of New Things I've Tried #31 (Vegan Proteins Edition)

There are an ever-increasing number of vegan proteins to try. I decided these review compilations were better if I reviewed more things but less frequently, but let me know what you prefer--more spaced out or fewer things in more frequent posts. Here, I have 10 new-to-me vegan proteins.

1. Good Catch Plant-Based Tuna with Oil and Herbs

When I ordered "naked" plant-based tuna, I had also ordered the oil & herbs version. It was not that flavorful and needed salt or something to improve matters. I had some mixed with mayo and lettuce and that was all right. Though I wouldn't often have this, it occurred to me that this could have a role in our lives that many other vegan proteins don't--it's ready to eat and shelf-stable, so you could pop it in your suitcase if you were going somewhere and concerned about whether you'd get enough protein while traveling (a perpetual issue if you try to get vegan options in omnivore restaurants, in my experience). So to have something to add to a salad or sandwich on the road, I'm really glad this exists. Otherwise, I'm not sure how much I would be likely to get this again.

2. Sam's Taco Crumbles

This is essentially just seasoned TVP, and it's spicier than I would probably make the mix if I were making it, but they came for free with my soy curls order and I really can't complain! I do wish the package gave directions for rehydrating less than the whole package, but if you use just a little less than 1 part water to 1 part crumbles, it works. These are pretty versatile. You can use them for tacos, or put them over rice, or in taco pasta. I'm thinking about trying them in chili.

3. Companion Mun-Cha'i Ya (Imitation Roast Duck-Style Braised Gluten Chunks)

This one was an impulse purchase quite a while ago, pre-pandemic, at an Asian market. I looked at this can in fear for a while before I actually managed to use it, but it's definitely worth trying! The braised gluten is a really nice texture--more tender than seitan typically is, but not at all mushy--and the flavor is pleasant, too. The duck skin pattern on the chunks was a bit weird but you really don't see it after you mix it into a stir fry or something. Unlike canned meat, canned gluten in no way struck any sort of "low quality" notes. I would definitely buy this again.

4. Mrs. Goldfarb's Unreal Corn'd Beef

This is kind of pricey, but I'd never seen ready-made vegan corned beef before so I had to try some! It's sliced on the thicker side for vegan deli slices, which is nice and hearty. The flavor was good, too. I hope I can still find some when St. Patrick's Day rolls around because it is amazing with some cabbage and potatoes.

5. Daring Original Breaded Pieces

These are expensive nuggets, and not worth it. They're only good if you fry them--if you bake them, they become extremely tough. Because I rarely fry things, and nuggets are supposed to be a convenience food, they didn't work out that well for me. The smaller chunks were easier to manage than the larger ones, somehow--less tough. But if you want nuggets that have more of the texture of chicken pieces than the pressed-and-formed kind, these might interest you. Also, I noted that the breading was very well seasoned, and tastes really great fried. Still not worth it to me, but glad I tried them.

6. Wegmans Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

Because the Smucker's natural peanut butter was kind of gritty, I wanted to see if I could find something smoother. This jar costs more than you'd expect for a store brand, but the texture was worth it! Nice and smooth like the kind with palm oil in it. This was a great peanut butter. A tip I have for mixing up your jars of peanut butter to minimize the need to stir: When you first bring it home from the store (or when it arrives in your shipment), turn it upside down and leave it there for half a day, then flip. Continue flipping twice a day (or when you think of it) until it's blended. You may need to stir it a little when you open it, but not nearly so much as if you didn't do this, and it tends to stay blended better in my experience.

7. Mrs. Goldfarb's Unreal Roasted Turk'y Slices

I don't think anything beats Tofurky, but I wanted to try this after I had the corned "beef." The best way I can describe this is that somewhat dry turkey you would get after cooking a whole bird and the white meat gets overcooked (or you did, once upon a time, when you weren't vegan--I know some of you never experienced that at all!). It has a convincing texture in this regard, but I'll stick to Tofurky.

8. Vegione Vegetarian Mock Pork

I had a hard time finding recipes for this, but I ended up loving it in a sweet and sour mock pork I made. I'd probably be more likely to get Gardein for that, even though it isn't as good, because it's more straightforward to prepare. But if you want to really impress someone, breading and frying these gluten pieces could be pretty amazing.

9. Raised & Rooted Plant-Based Nuggets

These were pretty good nuggets, a bit more tender than Morningstar Farms, which are my go-to nuggets most of the time. They also have a less uniform shape, which makes them a bit more appetizing. I might get these again, especially if the Kellogg's strike lasts long enough for me to need to buy more nuggets.

10. Jack & Annie's Maple Breakfast Sausage Links

These sausages have jackfruit in them to give them more of a meaty texture. They were pretty great! The maple flavor really came through. I don't think you have to limit breakfast sausage to breakfast, either, so you'll see these soon in one of my packed lunches. I can't wait to try the other Jack & Annie's products. People are really singing the praises of their nuggets.