Iron chef: Robot can cook you a vegan steak

PATTY’S DONE A man shows a plant-based hamburger patty produced by a robot at a fast-food outlet in Herzliya, Israel. —AFP

HERZLIYA, Israel — An Israeli fast-food restaurant is serving up a veggie steak made and cooked by a robot that tailors ingredients and cooking time to customer tastes.

“It’s the first time that a machine is making a personalized hamburger by itself,” said Racheli Vizman, CEO of SavorEat, an Israeli start-up that specializes in meat alternatives.

Customers can use an app to choose the amount of vegetable protein or fat in their “steak,” as well as its size and how they want it cooked, she said.

Kosher

The “robot chef,” which is the size of a large oven, can make three different steaks simultaneously—though a human staff member makes up the burgers.

It mixes ingredients, including beans, potatoes, and chickpeas to create a texture that “resembles that of real meat,” said Vizman, who started the business in 2018 along with two professors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The steaks at BBB restaurant in the coastal city of Herzliya are cooked within minutes, she said, adding that they contain no animal proteins and are kosher.

‘Flexitarians’

“We hope to respond to the cravings of vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians,” who occasionally eat meat, BBB’s Ahuva Turgeman said.

Around 5 percent of Israelis say they are vegan and the market for meat alternatives is on the rise, according to SavorEat.