IT'S HEARTY, IT'S MEATY, IT'S MOLD

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

One of the most promising sources of alternative foods is fungi, which contain nutritious proteins, fats, antioxidants, and flavor molecules. Scientists are exploring the many possibilities for new flavors and textures that can be made by modifying genes already present in fungi, as opposed to introducing genes from wildly different species. Researchers have modified a fungus called koji mold, usually used in East Asia to ferment starches, to be more meat-like, offering an alternative route for creating meat substitutes. The approach can create meat substitutes without the complex ingredients lists, costs, and technical difficulties of cultured meat.