If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear, did it make a sound?
Here are some contemporary variants on that classic philosophical quandary:
If honey is created without the work of bees, is it honey?
If a burger contains no meat, is it a burger?
For a long-time vegetarian, “substitute” foods aren’t new to me. But with growing awareness around climate change, the general population is starting to examine its diet and explore ways to cut down on consumption of agricultural products — namely meat —that use more than their fair share of resources.
These questions may sound hypothetical, but they are very real. In Europe, there is stringent regulation about what certain foods may be called. “Protected Designation of Origin” is the appellation applied to select products, including Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyère and feta cheeses. This PDO means that for a product to carry a certain name it must be prepared according to a specific process and contain only certain ingredients.
Take Swiss Gruyère. It must be prepared with animal rennet, which is why there is no kosher Gruyère in Switzerland. Instead the kosher variant is called Jurabergkäse. It is prepared and aged in nearly an identical manner — but with microbial instead of animal rennet.
In the US we take a far more liberal approach, but in the case of beef, it’s not only the EU that’s rebelling against vegetarian “ground beef” and “burgers.” In one well-known case, Missouri has made it illegal. In light of growing calls for plant-based diets, livestock farmers are concerned about protecting their product.
While in theory I like the concept of “terroir,” that the land from which food originates informs its qualities, like almost any traditionalist approach it can become oppressive. I, for one, will continue eating my veggie burger — perhaps with a slice of kosher Gruyère cheese melted on top.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com
Copyright © 2019 by the Intermountain Jewish News
