What Is Beef Rice?
Scientists at Yonsei University in South Korea have cultivated cow muscle cells inside grains of rice as a new eco-friendly food innovation. Their goal is to produce animal protein products without the environmentally harmful methane and carbon footprints that come with cattle farming.
What Does Beef Infused Rice Taste Like?
Yonsei University's Prof. Jinkee Hong took the courageous step of cooking and eating this new creation and was quoted saying "When cooked, the rice retains its traditional appearance but carries a unique blend of aromas, including a slight nuttiness and umami." If you're unfamiliar with that term, umami is Japanese for the "essence of deliciousness", and refers to the deep flavor found in meats, cheeses, tomatoes, sardines, and green tea.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Your Burger's Footprint
The reason we're seeing a lot more lab-produced beef is that meat production is a major global pollutant. According to the UN, beef production accounts for about a third of manmade greenhouse gasses.
Additionally. cattle farming raises concerns about manure runoff polluting nearby freshwater supplies.
Is Growing Sustainable Meat Around The Corner?
Beef Rice won't be ready for mass production for a while but every day we hear about more lab-grown meat alternatives concocted as sustainable, planet-healing foods. We're wondering if in a few years, we'll be growing burger bushes and shrimp shrubs in our gardens.
