The reality of India’s faux meat boom

Domino’s recent launch of plant-based meat in India comes amid a flurry of activity in the alt protein space. Here’s what to expect of the industry, and the questions we should be asking.

The mince, like most people with dating profiles and dishes on Instagram, looks better in the pictures. It’s supposed to be generously sprinkled but here it is in person, sparse amid the black olives and red paprika that populate the pizza topping. It’s also supposed to have a “100% chicken-like taste”. It doesn’t; the smoky flavour and shade of brown are more reminiscent of mutton. Perhaps Domino’s should’ve marketed this, the Unthinkable Pizza, as meat-like rather than chicken-like. It would’ve never succeeded in the US, Canada, Singapore, Macau, and Hong Kong—markets where Impossible Foods sells its patties, mince, and sausages. …

Author

Roshni P. Nair

Roshni is a features writer and former editor of The Morning Context's Chaos team. Her career spans The Ken, Reuters, the Hindustan Times and DNA. She is a recipient of the UNFPA Laadli award and was shortlisted for the RedInk Awards 2016 for her story on Mumbai’s leprosy colonies. Her far-flung ideas would sometimes drive our editor-in-chief Ashish up the wall, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way (even if he didn’t admit it).

roshni@mailtmc.com