Buzz
Plant-based foods designed to replicate the flavor and texture of traditional items are gaining traction, and it seems like this trend could last for quite a while. (Which, in my opinion, is a great thing.) While there are numerous ways to mimic the functional roles that eggs have in cooking and baking, Just Egg is the first product to give vegans the simple joy of enjoying a scrambled egg at breakfast.
Sure, there are tofu scrambles, but they taste like tofu, not eggs. They also look like tofu, smell like tofu, and feel like tofu when you eat them. Just Egg, on the other hand, tries to convince you that you’re eating eggs—and it nearly succeeds. The light yellow liquid comes from a bottle (which you must shake well to prevent separation) and cooks into a pile of protein that visually mirrors scrambled eggs.
Just Egg also behaves like scrambled eggs, both on your fork and in your mouth (at least when it’s hot). However, it doesn’t quite taste like scrambled eggs. To be honest, I didn’t expect it to taste exactly like eggs, but I was still taken aback by how much it tasted like something other than eggs. The most successful plant-based meats and cheeses tend to have a neutral flavor. If they can nail the texture and avoid a strong taste of anything else, that’s typically enough to trick your brain into thinking you’re eating a burger, sausage, or grilled cheese, especially when they’re loaded with toppings or sauces, or if you’re a bit tipsy.
But Just Egg has a pronounced flavor that I don't associate with eggs. I initially thought it tasted like pea protein, which is often used in dairy-free cheese alternatives, but it turns out it’s mung bean protein. I feel a bit embarrassed for mixing that up. The flavor wasn’t bad—more vegetal and savory—but it lacked the rich, custardy texture of a traditional egg scramble, which really threw off my brain. My senses were in conflict. My eyes saw eggs. My teeth felt eggs. But my tongue tasted mung beans. It felt like I was sitting alone at the Uncanny Valley Diner, and I didn’t enjoy it one bit.
If you were hoping for omelets at the Uncanny Valley Diner, you’ve made a mistake. Just Egg is intended for scrambling, which means it needs movement during cooking. When I left it in a pan without stirring, the edges began to set while the middle bubbled up like crazy, leaving a patchy texture on the bottom of the ‘not-omelet’ that stuck to my (greased, nonstick) pan like glue. (Though maybe I was too impatient; the Just Egg website has a recipe for an omelet, and theirs looks pretty.)
That’s not to say it’s a bad vegan product. If you’ve been vegan for a while, forgotten the taste of eggs, or simply never liked them, you’ll probably enjoy Just Egg, especially if you're looking for a texturally convincing base for Daiya shreds and fake bacon bits. I’m personally a fan of the perfect scramble, so I’m not in Just Egg’s target audience, but my vegan friends who’ve tried it really like it, and I’m happy for them. Maybe one day there will be an egg substitute that lovers of scrambled eggs from all dietary backgrounds can appreciate. That day isn’t today, but Just Egg makes it seem like it’s on the horizon.
