But “what does meat taste like, and how do we replicate it?” is much narrower and much more tractable — and a place where we think the field can be far more rigorous than it has been.
I agree these are important questions! I wonder what you think of the idea that maybe we can create tastes that are superior to any meat, perhaps unrecognizable tastes that no humans have tried, that are irresistible?
Thanks, Fai—agree that this is interesting, and for those interested in this, I’d recommend looking at the fats section of the technical context note on new flavor active compounds. This isn’t exactly what you’re suggesting though—but a related idea. A caveat: Novel flavour compounds can also have off-target effects that we don’t entirely understand—so this is an area where it may be worth treading with some caution.
I agree these are important questions! I wonder what you think of the idea that maybe we can create tastes that are superior to any meat, perhaps unrecognizable tastes that no humans have tried, that are irresistible?
Thanks, Fai—agree that this is interesting, and for those interested in this, I’d recommend looking at the fats section of the technical context note on new flavor active compounds. This isn’t exactly what you’re suggesting though—but a related idea.
A caveat: Novel flavour compounds can also have off-target effects that we don’t entirely understand—so this is an area where it may be worth treading with some caution.