What Longtime Vegetarians Think About the Plant-Based Meat Boom Margaret Eby We're in a golden age of fake meat. It seems like every week a new pea protein-based meat substitute comes onto the market, each one promising to mimic the flavor and texture of meat better than the last one. As more people reduce their meat consumption for health or environmental reasons, companies like Impossible Meats and Beyond Meat are becoming household names. But meat alternatives like tofu, tempeh, and seitan have been around for centuries, not to mention more recent innovations like black bean burgers and Morningstar faux bacon. Vegetarianism and veganism are nothing new—indeed they're part of cultural traditions that stretch back thousands of years. If you're already a vegetarian, what is this recent tech-enabled meatless meat boom doing for you?