Aneta Brand Vegetarian Pate: After last night's bacon/pork/parts binge at Holeman and Finch, it somehow made sense for me to tackle another unusual vegetarian dish today. I found this small tin of vegetarian "pate" during my last visit to the Buford Highway Farmers Market, and after noticing it several times in the Eastern European section on past visits, I finally decided to give it a go.
I love pate in any form (especially chicken liver), but I'd never gotten to try a vegetarian version. As my readers know, I'm not a fan of fake vegetarian/vegan "meat" or "cheese" products. Aside from seeming just conceptually wrong, I've never grown to appreciate their flavor. Some of them have actually made me feel physically ill, so unless I'm trying something for the blog, I stick to the real thing.
Once I read the ingredients before opening it today, I was surprised at how few elements it actually contained. The whole thing was made from simply mushrooms, vegetable oil, tomato paste, and some spices. I assumed it wasn't going to taste like much, so I slathered some on a cracker and took a bite.
To be honest, the texture/flavor reminded me of saltier instant mashed potatoes. I know that's a strange comparison, but that's the first thing I thought of. The slightly fluffy "pate" spread fairly well on the cracker, and even though it tasted OK, I still wished it was something else - like, something made from meat. It's a good thing I don't have to be a vegetarian, because I'm pretty sure I'd end up extremely unhappy.
It's official: that's the last fake meat product I'll ever try for this blog. It might even be the last one I ever eat, if I can help it.
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