The Mizzou/Match Soy Chicken Battle: An Update

By Aimee Levitt Thu., Feb. 18 2010 at 2:58 PM

Categories: News of the World

top photo Jennifer Silverberg, bottom photo courtesy University of Missouri

Loyal readers of Gut Check may recall that last week we reported that Fu-Hung Hsieh, a professor at the University of Missouri's College of Agriculture, was developing an artificial chicken made out of soy. Ever alert, Gut Check noted that St. Louis' very own Match already makes an artificial chicken out of soy (and wheat gluten).

We attempted to compare the two soy chicken concepts, an academic exercise that ended in a draw. What we really needed to do was taste them.

So we asked Hsieh to send us some of his artificial poultry for a soy chicken throwdown.

We didn't hear back from Hsieh immediately. Perhaps, we thought, he was seriously intimidated. More likely, he just had better things to do.

But yesterday we finally got a reply...

He wrote (after a few compliments for Match and our reporting on Match, which we won't bore you by reproducing here):

For your information, the products that come out of the extruder have no flavor components yet. They will need to be flavored or prepared by an experienced chef first. Thus, they will not be able to compete with Match's commercial products as is.

So there will be no throwdown...yet.