Americans are eating less meat—12% less than five years ago. That's good news. Not only for sweet Bessie The Cow, whose mama will not be killed (quite so soon) by a bolt gun shot to the skull, but also for you, the intrepid herbivoracious culinary explorer.

A bunch of food scientists—including Tofurky's creator and the guy who invented soft raisins—are closing in on a fake meat that tastes like chicken. It's the "holy grail" of fake food, and it's nearly impossible to make synthetically.