Biting into a burger and having the juices drip out of it has, until recently, been an experience only enjoyed by meat eaters. Vegetarians might join them soon, with a new meatless burger for sale at Whole Foods that bleeds beet juice instead of beef juice.

Ahead of its debut yesterday at Whole Foods in Boulder, The New York Times compared the Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat to the “holy grail” of alternatives to animal proteins: a plant burger that even the most dedicated meat eater won’t kick out of bed, culinarily speaking.

The Beyond Burger has 20 grams of vegetable protein per patty, most from peas, and contains no gluten or soy.

The blood is actually pulverized beet juice, in an effort to make the burger look, smell, and feel like the real thing.

There’s some competition out there for Beyond Meat, including a meatless burger from Impossible Foods that, its creators say, also bleeds.

So far the Beyond Burger appears to be appealing: it sold out in one hour on the first day it was available at Whole Foods, the company said in a Tweet on Monday:

The burgers cost $5.99 for two patties — a bit higher than real meat, The NYT notes — and will be available in Denver and Washington, D.C., soon, as well other locations this summer.

Plant-Based, the Beyond Burger Aims to Stand Sturdy Among Meat [The New York Times]

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