I am furious at myself for not taking a picture of this “chicken” before eating it!  I thought sure there would be a photo of the actual bird out there, but nary a snapshot of the unpackaged meat alternative could be found on my part.  “What does it matter?” you might be thinking.  Who wants to look at a loaf of meat alternative anyways?  Well, Cary Brown’s Chicken-Free Chicken is different.  This is no ordinary loaf, it is actually molded in the shape of a mini-chicken, as you would buy it in the store!  From the top it takes on the look of a mini carnivorous baked chicken.  The under-side is sort of a weird pressed look, but no need to turn it over of course. 

I know, you are dying of curiosity now … well, this picture sort of gives you the idea (but you really have to see for yourself) …

Was the shape novel?  Yes.  Was it a little weird?  Definitely.  But I can’t help but wonder if it does subliminally appeal more than a plain loaf of meat alternative.  Once we were done having a little giggle about the shape, it was time to dig into this mock-bird.  It sliced nicely, with the resistance of a processed meat, though little muscle was needed.  This is where the whole shape thing was a bit odd though.  The slices were very bizarrely shaped.  Luckily, once cut into chunks, they just became nice looking pieces of faux meat.

With my own curiosity peaked, I grabbed a small piece and took a nibble.  It was surprisingly good … tasting remarkably like … well … chicken.  Not exactly of course, and with a very smoky influence, but this could easily be mistaken for some type of meat.  The texture and taste combined to make what I would describe as a smoky packaged sausage (versus a freshly ground type sausage). 

I could think of no better application for this meat alternative than atop some billowing salads, slathered with a bit of Vegenaise made dressing.  My husband “the carnivore” uttered with a note of surprise, “ it’s good, smoky chicken.”  We both agreed that this was a perfectly passable, if not downright enjoyable faux meat, but the smoky flavor could have been taken down a notch or two.  While the smoky meaty aftertaste was kind of cool, the product had a bit too much sweetness, and … for lack of a better way of putting it … smoke. 

Since our vegan trial has turned us into full time almost vegans (we’re not perfect, okay!), this is a product I would consider purchasing again.  However, I would hesitate, since it is produced in Asia, and consequently not a label or note could be found to state that this soy-based product is non-GMO.  If Follow Your Heart floods me with emails to say that Carey Brown’s is indeed non-GMO, then I would definitely think of it for our weekly soy-based treat.  After all, it makes one heck of a “chicken” salad!

Where to Purchase: Look for this package (the one in the middle of course) ...

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