gardein arrives in australia
Social media has gone nuts with the arrival of nine varieties of Gardein mock meats in Australia.
I bought seven of those varieties to taste. Fishless fillets, chicken scallopini, 7 grain crispy chicken tenders, Szechuan beef strips, mandarin orange crispy chicken, chicken sliders and teriyaki chicken strips. All the Gardein products are vegan. A couple are gluten free as well.
I know that lots of vegans and vegetarians don’t like even the idea of faux meats, particularly people who have never eaten meat. But for those of us who grew up with it, are vegans for ethical reasons and miss the texture and flavour, products like Gardein are a treat. They are also great for people making a transition to being vegan or meat eaters who think they can’t give up meat.
So far, I’ve tried the crispy tenders that make a great chicken parma sandwich, and also the fishless fillets that bear an uncanny resemblance to fish in both taste and texture. Last night I tried the sliders. The burgers in those are great but the buns are too soft and sweet for my liking so I took the burgers out and ate them on sourdough bread. Call me a yuppie, but I like my junk food stylish.
I’ve yet to try the others but I have to say, on the evidence so far, this is very convincing mock meat, both in texture and taste.
I’ve already bought some more of the fishless fillets. They are great for an easy fish and chip night with some tartare sauce. Hand me a pickled onion.
Gardein is available quite widely, I’ve bought them from Prahran Convenience and Smith & Deli. They are also available at Manna Fresh in Essendon and a number of IGA supermarkets. It is nice to see vegan food going mainstream.
I am so happy that I found your website. Please keep letting us know what’s out there. Maybe come to Sydney and check out what’s available. Thanks again.
Hi Faye, Thankyou. I do go to Sydney once or twice a year and I have written some reviews of Sydney eateries.
my favourite so far is the Sizzling Szechuan. The chipotle black bean burger is probably second 🙂
How much are they, Rosalie?
Hi Natalie, They are $9.50 at Prahran Convenience and Smith & Deli. Apparently they are $8.99 at Manna Fresh in Essendon. I am not sure of prices at other places.
I’m horribly allergic to meat alternatives as most appear to have mould as their main base (Quorn in particular) which I found out the hard way. I have contacted a few corporations like Gardein’s and Veggie Delights about their products as I would like to try them, but none of them will get back to me about them, so I have to assume hey are mould based as well. Does anyone else know of any products that aren’t potentially harmful to humans?
As far as I know Quorn is the only one that is a mould (mycoprotein). Almost all Quorn (except one product) isn’t vegan as it is grown on an eggwhite culture. If you look at the ingredients on the packs that should give you a guide.
I have tried several of these products, in particular I like the fishless filets, I live in Bairnsdale in East Gippsland though, and although I have asked IGA in Paynesville to see if they can get them in, they have not done so. Where can I buy these things, in this area? I have also tried Coles and Woolworths in Bairnsdale with no luck.
Hi Laine, you could try contacting Gardein via their Facebook page to see if you can get any information. https://www.facebook.com/gardeinaustralia/
Just bought the crispy tenders at the IGA at Hervey Bay airport. $13.99 so will have some tonight. For that price they had better be good.
That’s not cheap. I hope you enjoy them! 🙂