Test Driving the Impossible Whopper

So what do you call a hamburger that really isn't a hamburger? Burger King calls it "The Impossible Whopper."

Impossible is probably the right name. It has no meat. It's a plant-based hamburger. It was created for people like Pam and I, who don't eat beef, and the people who don't particularly like the notion of herding animals into slaughterhouses. Which means I guess we're OK with murdering plants.

Burger King did some test marketing, which went well, before rolling it out nationwide. It's been getting a lot of press, so this week we decided to see what all the hoopla was about. So we went into our local Burger King and ordered one.

Most who have tried it say you can't tell the difference between it and the regular Whopper. And you know what? They're right. It has that same flame-char taste, with all the same fixings. Suddenly, we can eat hamburgers again.

I wonder how long before all the other burger chains jump on the plant bandwagon. By the way, nutrition experts argue the  plant-based burger is no healthier than the meat version. But you have to admit one thing: It's a whole lot healthier for the cows, right? -- Gerry Barker

---