Considering Wagyu beef is a Japanese delicacy, it makes perfect sense that the vegan version of it would be developed by Japanese experts. “Our team in Japan worked tirelessly to create the textures and flavors that mimic this exceptional beef by using traditional ingredients and cooking methods,” CEO Blair Bullus shared (via Live Kindly). In doing so, Bullus explains that soybeans were used as the primary ingredient, along with soy sauce, rice wine, giner, and garlic paste. The results yielded strips of vegan wagyu that resemble meat so closely that they even fooled Japanese chef and restaurateur Hidekazu Tojo.
The famed inventor of the California roll told news outlet South China Morning Post that although he was skeptical at first, the taste and texture was so similar to that of real Wagyu that he had a hard time believing it was made from plants. Not long from now, the rest of the world will see for themselves exactly what Tojo meant.