Options for meat substitutes have come a long way since Seth Tibbott's first few Thanksgivings as vegetarian in the 1970s. Vegetable side dishes and salads were nice but they didn't seem as festive as a turkey, the traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece. The Oregon man tried all kinds of experiments, from a stuffed pumpkin to a gluten roast that took all day to make but was "unsliceable and indigestible." After becoming a professional "soycrafter" in 1980, Tibbott noticed that sales seemed to slow around Thanksgiving and Christmas "as people lost their vegetarian ways and guiltily ate traditional fare like turkey," he said. Aside from tofu, which was primarily only sold in Asian markets, the only commercially available meat alternatives were made by Seventh Day Adventist companies, and many of these products were canned.
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Tofurky celebrates 20 years on vegetarians' tables this year
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Vegetarians say fake meat options have increased in quality over the years
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Roast brings "taste and texture of turkey that we associate with Thanksgiving," blogger says
With its torpedo shape and spongy, loaf-like consistency, the @placeholder and its competitors are a far gobble from a real bird.