Cover Forged Parfait, the new product from Forged by Vow, on top of an A5 Hokkaido Wagyu sando at Mori (Photo: Forged by Vow)
Forged Parfait, the new product from Forged by Vow, on top of an A5 Hokkaido Wagyu sando at Mori (Photo: Forged by Vow)
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Forged Parfait, the cultured meat company’s new product, launches today on April 4 for Singaporeans to try in an omakase menu at Mori in April before an exclusive product rollout
It looks exactly like a liver parfait, from its pale pink hue and its soft, spreadable texture, to its deeply savoury flavour profile. It is, however, not parfait in the traditional sense, if it is to be made from the livers of real animals. Instead, this particular parfait is created with cultured Japanese quail, cultivated from a small sample of cells to form an entirely new subspecies of quail. This is Forged Parfait, the latest product from Forged, the consumer brand of Australian cultured meat company Vow. It launches today on April 4 in Singapore, which will soon be available for Singaporean gourmands to taste in an exclusive menu at Mori from April 12 to 27.
According to chief executive officer and founder George Peppou, Vow “offers unprecedented opportunities to create entirely new meats”. “We don’t replicate the meat that we already enjoy,” Peppou tells us at an exclusive media launch of Forged Parfait on April 3, which just so happens to be the fifth anniversary of Vow’s founding.
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Above Artist rendition of Quailia, the new subspecies of quail that Vow created using cells from Japanese quail
Artist rendition of Quailia, the new subspecies of quail that Vow created using cells from Japanese quail
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Citing his upbringing in a meat-loving Greek family (“I’m required to eat lamb, there’s no alternative,” he quips), Peppou says that his aim is to get meat-loving people like himself to “add” something new to their diets rather than “taking something away”. “We approach this as a really interesting culinary opportunity to create new foods,” he says.
The new Parfait starts with Quailia, the new subspecies of cultured quail created by Forged. The four-week journey starts with a sample of Japanese quail cells identified as being responsible for texture and flavour. These cells are placed in a bioreactor, an enclosed tank where the ideal conditions for multiplication, including temperature, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, are exerted to produce meat. The team of culinary experts at Forged have taken the result of this procedure to create the Forged Parfait—a process that has occupied the company labs in Sydney for about 18 months.
Above George Peppou, CEO and founder of Vow
George Peppou, CEO and founder of Vow
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It’s a peculiar product to push out for a never-before-seen bird. “At Forged, we do things deliberately differently, so ‘peculiar’ is a compliment!” Jasper Veen, business operations lead at Vow, says. “Quailia represents our imaginative and unconventional approach to food innovation. It’s a fictional creature that embodies the limitless possibilities of cultured meat. With Forged Parfait, our first product, we’re showcasing the extraordinary potential of cultured meat to create entirely new culinary experiences.”
As to why Forged has decided to launch a parfait instead of any other product, Veen says that the goal was to “create something that you can’t get in nature, showing the limitless potential of cultured meat”.“Our ambition was to bring a flavour and texture combination together you couldn’t get anywhere else—a contradiction that is both rich and delicate at once,” he says. Peppou adds, “We really started with this idea of an impossible contrast by matching the rich, heavy gaminess of quail with this very light, delicate creaminess of parfait with this nice airiness.”
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Above Jasper Veen, business development lead at Vow
Jasper Veen, business development lead at Vow
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Flavour, of course, is paramount in the success of a food product, and the suspicion amongst many is that bold products like these place innovation over taste. For Forged, at least, Veen claims that the company believes that “culinary innovation and taste go hand in hand”. “Our process involves extensive research and experimentation to ensure that each product delivers a sensory experience that exceeds expectations,” he says.
Forged made headlines last year for unveiling a giant meatball made from the DNA of the extinct woolly mammoth, with supplementary DNA from its closest living relative, the African elephant. A virtuoso display of technical rigour, the creation seemed straight out of a science fiction novel, stopping short of reviving the extinct animal.
But if it sounds too good to be true, it is—the meatball was famously not made for human consumption due to safety concerns surrounding extinct protein, leaving one to wonder what was the point in the first place.
“With the Mammoth Meatball, we wanted to start a conversation about the food that we’re going to eat tomorrow being different from the food that we eat today,” Veen says. “While not intended for human consumption, it served as a bold statement of our commitment to pushing boundaries and how Forged uses cell culturing technology to really innovate. It made a lot of people hungry, but mostly the Mammoth Meatball captured imaginations, inspiring people to rethink the future of food.” Having pushed new boundaries and shaped new mindsets about food, Veen says that the release of Forged Parfait “takes this a step further, creating an entirely new flavour and texture combination and giving people the chance to actually taste it”.
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Above Savoury cannoli stuffed with Forged Parfait and topped with Black Pearl caviar
Savoury cannoli stuffed with Forged Parfait and topped with Black Pearl caviar
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More exciting still is the exclusive launch of Forged Parfait in Singapore, where gourmets have the opportunity to taste the versatility of the new product in a seven-course menu at Japanese restaurant Mori from April 12 to 27. Think a cannoli stuffed with the Parfait, augmented by a Black Pearl caviar bump, or the Forged Brûlée, which sees the Parfait served with port jelly and morels poached in cognac, crowned with a layer of caramelised sugar. A limited product rollout through exclusive channels will follow.
“With its dynamic culinary landscape and reputation for embracing innovation, Singapore provides the ideal platform to introduce our product to a diverse and discerning audience,” Peppou says of launching Forged Parfait in Singapore. “In launching here, we’re not only tapping into Singapore’s vibrant food scene but also connecting with global food enthusiasts and trendsetters who seek out new culinary experiences.”
Above Forged Brûlée, made with Forged Parfait and served with port jelly and morels poached in cognac
Forged Brûlée, made with Forged Parfait and served with port jelly and morels poached in cognac
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As much as alternative protein is positioned as a sustainable solution to the mounting pressures of consumption and ecological degradation, one of the biggest challenges Forged will face is the scale and cost of making it widely available to alleviate such issues. “Through continued research and development, we’re optimising our production processes to increase efficiency and reduce costs without compromising on quality,” Peppou says. “At the same time, we’re dedicated to crafting products that captivate real interest from consumers. With the launch of Forged Parfait, our aim is to create enticing products that really resonate with consumers’ palates. Then, as we expand our reach, we can be confident we’re delivering food choices that consumers will eagerly embrace.”
Veen hints that five or ten restaurants in Singapore are already queueing up to put Forged Parfait on their menus in a bid to stand out against the industry’s vast competition. With the doors blasted open, we’ll be watching very closely—we might be seeing alternative protein enjoy its spot in the limelight.
Ethan Kan was Tatler Singapore’s dining writer.
