Remember, it’s April 1st — that means that every piece of news you hear, you’ll want to take with a grain of salt. That said, Burger King’s latest announcement seems to be no joke. They’re changing up the Whopper in a pretty big way.
If you’re interested in food, you may have heard of the Impossible Burger. Not only is the Impossible Burger sought after by most beef enthusiasts, but it’s much healthier than the patties they’re often served.
That’s because the burger isn’t made of beef at all — but your taste buds won’t be able to tell.
You can thank science for creating a burger patty that looks and tastes like meat, but isn’t. Burger King definitely took notice, since they’re currently testing out an Impossible Whopper in their St. Louis locations.
The patty, made by a company called Impossible Foods, has also been available at select White Castle locations, according to The New York Times.
Now, that doesn’t mean that the Whopper will change forever. But it does mean that they’re looking into healthier alternatives that’ll keep up with today’s world.
Since the Whopper has such a distinctive taste, it’ll be really interesting to see if Burger King can pull this off.
If so, they’ll be the largest chain to carry it. If they choose to offer this burger nationally, it’d appear in over 7,000 locations.
The New York Times spoke with Burger King’s chief marketing officer, Fernando Machado. Machado admitted that even Burger King employees couldn’t tell the difference between the standard Whopper and the meatless version.
And it seems that they’re really hoping for the burger to be a success. This looks like something that might be on the menu for quite some time, which will give vegetarian guests yet another option for their lunch.
It should be noted that technically, Burger King does offer a veggie burger. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the infamous Whopper.
If you live in the St. Louis area, you should give it a shot.
Even if you’re a proud fan of beef, the comparison challenge is something you owe yourself.
This can change the whole game. Vegetables taste good on their own, but they don’t normally taste like burgers.
The one mistake that Burger King made was literally revealing this information on April 1st. Because people might not take it seriously — as evident on Twitter.
AGREED. BK, this better not be a joke - look at how White Castle is KILLING IT with Impossible sliders - you want that money, right?
— Matt Miner (@mattminer1984) April 1, 2019
Fans were also quick to embrace the news. Some said they’d be going to BK much more often with an Impossible Whopper on the menu.
If they sell it near me I would 100% eat at BK all the time.
— Kristin MacDougall (@Kmacjp) April 1, 2019
Animal enthusiasts are also excited that Burger King is embracing the change. Since no animals are harmed in the making of Impossible Burgers, it’s an overall win.
nope, no animals are harmed in the making of impossible burgers 🙂 Same great taste, none pf the cruelty or death🙌🏼
— JasonⓋ (@SheepArePeople2) April 1, 2019
In general, it’s kind of crazy that a company that depends so much on beef is willing to go against it. And since one of their slogans is that they’re “the Home of the Whopper,” you’d think they may be just a little hesitant to experiment.
Burger King says customers and employees can't tell the difference. The Impossible Whopper still costs about a dollar more, but once the company scales and prices drop, why would we keep eating animals? pic.twitter.com/PlDOdZD2NC
— Jacy Reese Anthis (@jacyanthis) April 1, 2019
But at the same time, Burger King giving this option some thought is a really smart way to look ahead. They’re not the only company that’s focusing more on the health and needs of the next generation. McDonald’s has pulled similar moves, with their technology and their quality of beef.
Even though we value taste, we also value nutrition. And with a burger like this, it proves that having both is very possible.
Brian Cooley from CNet tried it out for himself. After being served an Impossible Burger at Burger King, he stated, “The remarkable thing was how unremarkable they were: Nothing gives away the fact that this Whopper contains a different main ingredient.”
So really, this is a no-lose situation. There’s room in this world for yet another Whopper, and if it happens to be plant-based, even better.
Burger King allegedly testing the Impossible Whopper in St. Louis beginning today. pic.twitter.com/cokKWVykS0
— Jonathan Maze (@jonathanmaze) April 1, 2019
The real question is, when will the rest of America be able to order it?
