The scent of bacon sizzling in the pan is one of the most irresistible in the world. But what if that delicious aroma came from… mushrooms? It's not science fiction, but reality. Mycelium bacon is about to invade American shelves, promising to revolutionize (again) the very concept of plant-based food.
Bacon changes its face
Get ready to roll your eyes, dear carnivorous friends: the bacon of the future doesn't come from pork, but from mushrooms. And no, we're not talking about those mushrooms that magically appear on your forgotten cheese in the fridge. We are talking about mycelium, the underground network and “intelligent” of fungal filaments which is now also a candidate to become the star of your sandwiches.
The mind behind this culinary revolution is a startup founded in 2020, MyForest Foods. Its name derives from a peculiar characteristic of the company: that of having replicated a forest environment to grow mycelium in vertical farms. Imagine a sort of mushroom skyscraper, where instead of stressed employees grow strands of mycelium ready to become your next snack. Or your next bag, shoe, etc., but that's another story.
Conquering the USA
Frankly, since day one we have been fielding requests from consumers across the country asking to take our delicious product to their nearest retailer
Sarah-Marie Cole
Translating from marketese: “People are literally begging us to bring our 'fungal' bacon into their supermarkets.” And who are they to deny Californians the pleasure of a good slice of crunchy mycelium? That's why MyForest Foods has decided to invade Los Angeles and San Francisco with its MyBacon product. Get ready for the mushroom invasion, West Coast.
Five ingredients to amaze
The good (or bad, depending on your point of view) is that this miracle bacon is made with just five ingredients. Oyster mushroom mycelium, salt, organic sugar, coconut oil and natural flavourings. No mysterious additives, no unpronounceable names. Just mushrooms disguised as bacon. It's as if Mother Nature had decided to do some sort of culinary cosplay. But it's not just a question of taste. This mycelium bacon promises to also be a champion of sustainability. It uses less water, less land and produces fewer emissions than its swine counterpart. We can dwell on the topic for hours, and we often do in our articles, but we struggle to see where the problem is here.
Science says yes (and the heart thanks)
If you are thinking "But will it be healthy?", know that science and medicine are on the side of mushrooms. Totally, 100%. While traditional bacon is considered carcinogenic (yes, it's sad, I know), plant-based alternatives seem to be much friendlier to our hearts. Take a look to this study, for example. If our cardiovascular system could cheer us on, it would shout from the sidelines “choose the mycelium! I told you choose the mycelium! Choose the mouse... man choose the mouse" and if you are thinking in rhythm it means that I have explained myself well.
In short, it seems that a little piece of bacon's future is made of mushrooms. And not just bacon: I told you, mycelium is a candidate to replace everything, from packaging to fabrics. Even in construction experiments are pouring in.
The last slice of bacon
In conclusion, whether you are a convinced vegan, a curious omnivore or simply a lover of culinary novelties, mycelium bacon deserves a chance. Because, let's face it, in a world where robots are sent to Mars (for now only those), the least we can do is eat mushrooms that taste like bacon. Maybe one day we'll tell our grandchildren, “Back in my day, bacon came from pigs,” and they'll look at us as if we'd just said we once rode to school on the back of a dinosaur. The future is fungal, my friends. Better to get used to it, while a fat tear rolls down our face.
