No April fooling: Burger King this week introduced the Impossible Whopper.
A quarter pound of savory flame-grilled plant-based materials—topped with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo, and a toasted sesame seed bun—the vegetarian twist on a fast food classic is available now in St. Louis, Mo.
Following White Castle’s lead, Burger King has partnered with Impossible Food to bring a meatless burger to the market.
The Silicon Valley startup, which develops plant-based substitutes for meat and dairy products, launched its avant-garde meat analogue patty in July 2016.
Production of the Impossible Burger uses 95 percent less land and 74 percent less water than ground beef from cows, and emits 87 percent less greenhouse gas, according to the company.
The signature sandwich—upgraded early this year—also promises direct health benefits like additional protein, less total fat, zero cholesterol, and fewer calories than a similar-sized meat burger. Not to mention it’s gluten-free.
The Impossible Whopper is no prank, but its sapidity certainly fooled some.
Burger King’s Chief Marketing Officer Fernando Machado told the Times that initial taste testers can’t tell the difference between the fan-favorite meat patty and the vegetarian-friendly new one.
“People on my team who know the Whopper inside and out, they try it and they struggle to differentiate which one is which,” Machado said.
Hungry customers can order an Impossible Whopper from 59 locations in the St. Louis area—and, if all goes well, soon every BK branch in the country.
“I have high expectations that it’s going to be big business, not just a niche product,” Machado added.
It worked for UK bakery Greggs, which recently launched a vegan sausage roll that has, by all accounts, boosted sales nearly 10 percent in seven weeks.
“Our whole focus is on making products that deliver everything that meat lovers care about,” Impossible Foods founder Pat Brown said in an NYT interview.
The company’s next hurdle: feed the growing demand for healthier, more environmentally friendly food.
On the same day Burger King introduced the new Whopper, Impossible patties hit kitchens in all 570 locations of casual dining chain Red Robin.
