Does quorn taste as rank as it looks?

[Waxonwaxoff0]

Making an effort to try and cut down on my meat consumption so I've bought quorn mince to make bolognese with tomorrow. Never tried it before in my life but it looks horrible. DM who is vegetarian swears blind that I won't be able to tell that it's not beef mince. Is she having me on?

I don't eat meat. I don't eat much Quorn either but I do occasionally use it for a Bolognese. I think you will be able to taste the difference as my meat eating son and OH will eat Quorn mince but neither will eat real mince so there must be a difference. They say the texture of Quorn Mince is better too.

I don't think the mince can compare to beef mince (too dry to start with) but it's a fine subsitute once you've got the sauce on and lots of cheese . The chicken subsitute is pretty good though. I really like the mozzerella and pesto escalopes and eat them all the time and I'm not a veggie. I also like their best of british sausages more than I like meat sausages.

And I'd rather go to a factory and see Quorn made than a slaughter house and butchers to see how mince comes into being.

I was thinking the same when I read the comment from Justapatchofgrass

I really like the quorn ham in a sandwich with lots of butter...

I can absolutely tell the difference. I find it has a sweet taste and a soft, spongy texture (personally dislike both of those things).
It's one of the very few things I refuse to eat, I find it utterly horrible.

I much prefer quorn mince to beef mince. I also like the other quorn things too. Only ever had the peppered steak things that I didn’t like. They were odd. They rest I really enjoy. I think it’s best to accept they’re not meat- and won’t taste exactly the same.

Mince can just be switched for green lentils. There are many foods you can use in place of meat without having to use something like Quorn.

I've tried it 3 times and it gave me a very bad upset stomach each time (first I thought was bad luck, second was confirmation and third I didn't know the meal contained it until later). Never again.

It was delish in this cottage pie recipe

www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/4220606/recipe/quorn-cottage-pie

It's not greasy like real meat obviously and it's dead easy to work with - just chuck it in the pan frozen.

I've eaten it for years and I really like quorn!

I think it tastes of precisely nothing, which is why it's so horrible. And then there's the texture to get used to. I'm all in favour of eating less meat - I'm not a vegetarian, but am really trying to cut down my meat consumption - but there are much nicer ways to go about it.

It tastes like a perfectly adequate meat free food style substance.

Lots of people can't tolerate it but if you can it's a useful source of low carb vegetarian protein. It adds texture rather than flavour.

I prefer dried soya mince for spag bol.

I think it takes a lot of work in layering flavours to make it taste of anything - the texture is 'nothing', like there's thin air in your mouth, which is completely different to using red lentils and some oats as mince - they taste and feel of something. If you think of boiling basics mince in water, rinsing it in cold water, boiling it some more and then changing the water again so that no taste remains, that would be what Quorn tastes like.

So I wouldn't bother. Anybody who can't tell the difference between meat and Quorn has either not got much in the way of a sense of taste and texture, they've forgotten what meat is like or they grew up with an appalling cook providing their meals. Stick with lentils, oats or just vegetables.

You can definitely tell the difference. Quorn is squeaky when you bite into it, and it's not flavoursome at all.

The mince is Ok, it has a horrible texture and doesn't really taste anything like meat, but it's fine.

The Quorn pieces though are just rank. They taste so chemically to me, I don't get how anyone can think they are tasty?

I have been trying really hard with quorn lately as we have massively cut down on meat in our house, but I can't bring myself to like it tbh.

Oooh I tell you what I do like though is the Quorn scotch egg things - they are nice!

I agree about the tasting of nothingness, you have to season it so much for it to taste nice and if frying it holds oil like a sponge!
I can eat the nuggets but the fillets give me a bad belly every time

My family love Quorn nuggets - really nice chicken alternative

My mil said she would not want to eat quorn. I secretly made a bolognese with it and she said this mince is so much tastier! I then admitted it was quorn and she was surprised! She tried a vegan sausage roll and couldn't tell the difference. I make stir fry with quorn pieces and she happily eats it! My fiance eats it all including things like beetroot burgers which aren't meant to replicate a meaty taste and texture in fact he absolutely loves them. At Christmas we are going to bils for dinner and my fiance said he would prefer to eat the vegetarian option with me.

I'd go fucking nuts if someone conned me into eating processed fungus, especially the way I react to it. Out of order.

I sub for lentils as well. Use less meat and the rest lentils. Does the job quite well.

I was a veggie for years, loved quorn mince abs the chicken style pieces! Also loved the bacon

Not tried it for years though!

I like it....stick a load of spices or fresh herbs with it, and 200mls of red wine

You will be able to tell that it's not mice. It is very tender in texture and has a slightly bitter aftertaste.

If you are not actually vegetarian you could try adding it bulk out real mince. I use a tiny amount of steak mince for flavour, onions, grated carrot and courgette and then add lots of Quorn. No one notices when I do this, but they can tell (and pull a face) when I only use Quorn.

Been veggie for years and never eaten actual steak yet I love their steak and gravy pies. They are really steaky

It gives me horrible shits.
Quorn intolerance is a thing, Google it.
Saying that, it's worth a try, you might like it and not be affected.