Tofurkey

Gobble! Gobble! - The turkey imitation so often uttered in spirit of Thanksgiving. But what sound does imitation turkey make? I've never come across wild Tofu.

Yesterday at my family's Thanksgiving feast, my vegetarian cousin provided the talk of the table. It wasn't the creamy mashed potatoes, the Swiss grits, the stuffing or the delicately carved turkey which sparked conversation. What everyone was talking about, but not necessarily enjoying, was the turkey without the tryptophan: The Tofurkey.

I solute Tofurkey for providing an avenue for vegetarians to remain traditional, but I do not commend it on taste. If you are not a vegetarian there is really no reason to try the Tofurkey since turkey is a pretty lean to begin with. Sure the Tofurkey has it's advantages; low fat, easy to prep and no nap required post consumption, but that all comes at a tasteless price.

The Tofurkey is a rounded log of tofu with a wild-rice-stuffing running through the center. When the Tofurkey is sliced, there is a round disk of Tofurkey with a hole in the middle filled with the wild-rice-stuffing, not a bad presentation. But the Tofurkey really doesn't taste anything like turkey. The texture is chewier than tofu, but still not even close to the texture of real turkey. It really just tastes like Rice-A-Roni pilaf.

My Aunt said she enjoyed it topped with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy - the way most Thanksgiving plates turn out. So if you don't eat the bird on Thanksgiving but want to remain somewhat traditional, eat the soy variation with a lot of other flavorful sides that will mask the bland, monotonous taste of Tofurkey.