Based on the Chinese art of ‘flowering tea’, meat flowers are sold as small, tightly wrapped bundles of in vitro meat. Only when placed in hot liquid do the round bundles magically unfurl into elaborate flowers, complete with delicate leaves and petals. Intricate designs such as chrysanthemums or liliescan take skilled meat artisans up to 15 minutes to assemble and sew.


So their intricate artistry can be admired from all angles, these flowers are best used in clear soup stock and served in glass containers. In the following recipe, a meat flower ‘blooms’ in a Vietnamese broth garnished with a garden of fragrant Asian herbs.


Flowering Pho

1 literpho broth

2 meat flowers

250 grams dried flat rice noodles

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 chili pepper, sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges

Handful each of bean sprouts, cilantro and Thai basil

Hoisin sauce

Sriracha sauce


1. Bring the broth to a simmer.


2. While the broth is simmering, cover the noodles with hot water and let stand for 30 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain the noodles.


3. Divide the noodles and broth into two bowls. Add the onion, scallions, chili, bean sprouts and herbs to each bowl, arranging the garnishes in attractive groupings. Place a meat flower into each bowl immediately before serving. Add hoisin sauce, Sriracha sauce and lime juice to taste.



From The In Vitro Meat Cookbook: 45 lab grown meat dishes you cannot cook yet.

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