Impossible Foods has perfected a juicy, bleeding, meatless hamburger that mimics beef down to its distinct aroma – and they just debuted the revolutionary vegan patty in San Francisco. Engineered to evoke the taste, smell, and cooking reactions of beef, this food innovation could change family cookouts forever. Impossible Foods founder Patrick Brown told The Wall Street Journal, “The whole mission of this company is to make eating animals unnecessary. So, we don’t want our product to just be delicious, we want it to be as delicious as meat.”

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Now you can have a juicy, bleeding, meatless burger – and eat it, too. Impossible Foods hit the headlines last year for reaching over $108 million in investments, and the final total is estimated to be around $183 million today. A shining reputation helped Patrick Brown, co-founder of plant-based cheese company Kite Hill, attract investors – including Bill Gates – to his new endeavor. Research and development has been underway in an unassuming Silicon Valley laboratory for over five years, and the fruits, er, proteins of their labor are finally ready for the public.

Related: Plant-based burger company receives huge $108 million investment

San Francisco haunt Jardinière featured the plant-based patty in a pop-up event where it was topped with avocado, caramelized onion, vegan dijonnaise, and served on a potato bun. The burger itself is a product of sophisticated engineering. Coconut oil lends to the juiciness while it cooks (did we mention the patties are purchased raw and cooked up like traditional hamburgers?) and potato compounds create a familiar crisp when prepared. A molecule from honeydew melon creates the mouth-watering aroma akin to grilled meat.

Impossible Foods doesn’t plan on stopping at a few, select pop-up events. Because beef production requires more resource input than the final product and is a main culprit in environmental devastation, Brown argues we need to find alternatives, and soon. The Impossible burger gives us an alternative that is both tasty and conscientious.

+ Impossible Foods

Via San Francisco Eater

Images via Impossible Foods