Hermann is an Austrian brand and offers a different product on the vegan meat market. First of all it is vegetarian but reading upon their product, it deserves a spot on this website. Ingredients and production are quite unique. It positions itself as premium meat alternative and reading upon the story and production, it is clear to see why. Its main character is the king oyster mushroom, which also gives it the unique umami flavour that we crave so much.
It took Hermann Neuburger (founder) and his son (Thomas Neuburger) five years to find the perfect base. 30 years ago he took over his dad’s butchery but realised that we harm our planet and our animals. However, to create the perfect product, they went on a journey, in particular Asia, to find it.
Ingredients & Production
When I realised it is not vegan, I was a bit disappointed because I enjoyed the product (spoiler alert), however, on their website they point out that they place an emphasis on where their ingredients come from, including eggs and milk. According to Hermann that produce comes from organic farms, where chicken have about 10m2 space each and no rooster has to die and cows are raised under Bio Austria requirements.
According to the website, the product contains no additives, aroma or technical production but simply king oyster mushrooms (the base), rice, vegetable oil and egg. The skin is pretty good but it does not say the website how it is made.
What I found most interesting: they put a patent on their own king oyster mushroom type and produce all of it themselves, which means their supply chain is very local.
Review
I really enjoyed eating these sausages. The skin was perfect, the taste was not a traditional sausage, yet, it was very comforting which I assume is due to the umami flavour of the mushroom. The smell was very pleasent, the texture was almost like a sausage, a bit more gooey. I would have used more flavour for the sausage but then again, the brand emphasises that it aims to reduce unnecessary flavours. The look was perfect, before and after cooking. All in all, I definitely recommend this product because of production, values and taste. Even though it is quite expensive and ‘only’ vegetarian, it is worth its money.
- Smell 100%
- Texture 95%
- Taste 90%
- Look 100%
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