Alt-seafood startup Pearlita announces the company recently held its first tasting of plant-based oyster. Taking place on Nov. 8 in the Bay Area, the tasting was part of a fundraising effort for Pearlita, which plans to launch its first alternative oyster into restaurants and retail in 2023.
"This is a huge milestone for a company this young"
Oyster favorites
Pearlita staged the tasting at Wild Earth's headquarters near San Francisco, where guests were offered a full menu showcasing the oyster in a fried po' boy sandwich, raw vegan oyster ceviche and raw oysters on the half-shell. Though the company is leveraging both plant-based and cultivated technologies to develop the product, Pearlita says it is first releasing a plant-based prototype while it works on scaling its cell lines.
The plant-based prototype is made from a proprietary base of mushrooms and seaweed, along with a flavor cocktail the company says imparts a "delicate and authentic ocean flavor."
Attendees commented the oysters had the "same texture" as real oysters and that they "tasted great" and "delicious," with some even deeming them "restaurant quality."
"There was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement from the attendees," said Kassy Hickey, Head of Science at Pearlita. "This is a huge milestone for a company this young."
Improving seafood
Conventional oysters are known to carry risks of foodborne illness and are currently threatened by overharvesting and pollution. In early 2022, Pearlita opened its first research lab near North Carolina's famed Triangle Park to focus on cultivating oysters' prized flesh using cellular agriculture and plant-based techniques.
Backed by CULT Foods, Big Idea Ventures and Sustainable Food Ventures, Pearlita's future plans also include alternative squid and scallops.
More to come
"We are thrilled to have such positive feedback about our products and we can't wait to continue to blow people away with our many delicious oyster & seafood alternatives," shared Nikita Michelsen, founder and CEO of Pearlita. "We just had a tasting in Raleigh to test out our vegan California roll which was a huge success, and are currently perfecting a vegan clam chowder we can't wait to have people taste."
https://vegconomist.com/food-and-beverage/meat-and-fish-alternatives/pearlita-first-tasting-oysters/
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Of all the vegan replications of things which could potentially be new and good, you choose a brainless mollusk which grows all over and has very mininal environmental impact, used to be street trash, and has a unique texture that will surely only be fricking repulsive if you try and replicate it with xantham gum or whatever in there. Frick you san fran
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The most important part is that oyster flesh is texturally and structurally very easy compared to other meats.
You are 100% correct that they are going for this based on cost, but it's also probably an optimal starting point in terms of cost relative to weight and cost relative to organism complexity. A briny protein snot-lump is much easier to concoct than the texture of a "scallop" that sears to have tangible muscle fibers while remaining soft in the middle or a "squid" that has the right chew for calamari rings. This is absolutely a low-complexity jumping point to reach more difficult meats from.
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Oysters are actually beneficial to the environment if they're used for purifying a water body.
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Oysters arnt threatened by anything those frickers could survive in the ganjes if a sexy Indian dude dumped some salt in it.
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I don't think they are threatened by salt. But by something else.
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No I was saying they need salt
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No you were saying oysters need salt.
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I’d try them if they weren’t made from mushrooms, I only eat those to get high
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I'd try it for free but I'm also sure it sucks
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