[REVIEW] Good Catch Vegan Crab Cakes

Hi Collective! Today you are getting a review on a vegan product from a vegan! Most of the time when we do reviews, we have Natalie write them based on her view as an omnivore, so you can get an honest idea if the vegan mock products are similar or different than the "real" version. Sometimes, when you are vegan long enough your taste buds forget what the "real" thing tastes like and it can skew the review. However, I will NEVER forget what crab cakes taste like! My Mom makes the best Maryland-Style crab cakes. She grew up in Baltimore and I grew up in Maryland, so seafood pulses through our veins (well not so much me anymore). But, she ALWAYS brags about how she makes the best crab cakes out there, and hey .. she isn't wrong.

I am going to review this product on 5 different areas; 1) taste, 2) texture, 3) ingredient list, 4) similarity to the real thing, and 5) overall rating.

Taste

These frozen mock crab cakes have an alright taste. I will say they don't really capture the full salty, "sea"food taste. I was missing something while eating them. When I cooked them they didn't fill the kitchen with that notalgic aroma I was hoping for. They tasted more bland than they tasted crabby, but they still had a good flavor profile. I would give taste: 3 Eco Leaves.

Texture

Okay here is where it all went downhill for me, you see in the picture right there in the bottom center? It says "lump crabmeat-style texture" HAHA, NO. It had a mushy, wet texture. Now, you could be saying, "Rachel did you cook them right?". Yep, I cooked them two different ways, I sautéed them in a non-stick pan (nasty texture, it just fell apart). Then, they second time I had them I cooked them longer in a cast-iron skillet with a bit more oil. The second time they definetly came out better and more crisp, but still didn't have a crabmeat texture at all. Overall, I would rate the texture: 2 Eco Leaves.

Ingredient List

So let's take a peek at the ingredient list (aka - how processed are these?).

Water, Good Catch® 6-Plant Protein Blend (Pea Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Concentrate, Chickpea Flour, Faba Protein, Lentil Protein, Soy Protein Isolate, Navy Bean Powder), Sunflower Oil, Wheat Flour, Red Bell Pepper, Corn Starch, Green Onion, Parsley, Natural Flavors, Salt, Lemon Juice, Methylcellulose, Corn Maltodextrin, Organic Cane Sugar, Onion Powder, Spices, Paprika, Yeast Extracts, Garlic Powder, Yeast, Corn Flour, Xanthan Gum, Annatto Extract, Acetic Acid. Contains Soy And Wheat.

Overall, I have to say I am impressed by the ingredient list. The only thing that really concerned me was the "natural flavors", as that could mean anything. But, there is a lot of protein from beans and peas and a punch of veggies from peppers, herbs and fruit juice. Knowing that this product is not overly processed like some of it's counterparts - I have to say, makes the somewhat bland taste worth it. This section gets: 4 Eco Leaves.

VegNews: Good Catch Crab Cakes with Creamy Cocktail Sauce

Similarity to the Real Thing

This product was not really similar to the real thing. If you have been vegan for a long time and completely forget what seafood tastes like, this may be able to fool your tastebuds, but it just didn't do it for me. The marketing and appeal is spot on for this product, they lured me in with the "crabmeat-like texture" thing on their box, but since that was the only appeal, it just let me down a bit. I would say that Gardein's mini "crabless" cakes get a little closer than these ones do. But, I think it is a great option to have out there and others will enjoy it, I just wouldn't pay the $6-7 price tag for it again, when I could make them myself for under $5 (and like 8 of them). I give this: 3 Eco Leaves.

Overall Rating

I would give them, 3 Eco Leaves.

The texture was just bleh but I do like that there are more options out there for seafood that aren't highly processed, the ingredient list alone definitely added a leaf onto the rating. I would also be interested in trying their "New England-style" crab cakes to see if that texture is a bit more realistic. So in summary - if you have the money to spend, I'd give them a go, but I wouldn't recommend freaking out over these if you don't have the budget to be disappointed.

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Have you tried this product? Let us know in the comments or on our socials! @theecogreenco.