A Swedish Company Has Developed A Burger That Allegedly Tastes Just Like Human Flesh

“No humans were harmed in the making of this burger,” the company said.

Can you even imagine a burger so wild, so unique, and so downright bizarre that it tastes like human flesh? Well, if you’re daring enough to ponder such a culinary curiosity, Swedish company Oumph! has got your back.

Now, before you get all squirmy, let’s get one thing straight: no humans were harmed in the making of this burger. That’s the reassuring promise from Oumph!, who’ve concocted this plant-based wonder to taste like something out of your wildest (or weirdest) carnivorous dreams — human meat.

Initially released around Halloween 2021, paired with a spooky video on their YouTube channel, this peculiar burger didn’t just stop at capturing imaginations. It won the Silver Brand Experience and Activation Lion at the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in the summer of 2022. That’s right, this ‘human flesh’ burger is officially an award-winner.

But let’s get real, why would anyone go to all this effort to make a burger taste like human flesh? According to Henrik Åkerman, Oumph!’s global brand leader, it’s about pushing boundaries. “As a small brand, we need to be bold and ready to push some boundaries to break through,” he explained. Bold doesn’t even begin to cover it, Henrik!

The burger was available for a one-night-only event on October 30 at Nytorget, Södermalm, Stockholm. Talk about an exclusive tasting experience! According to Tomás Ostiglia, executive creative director at LOLA MullenLowe, which handled the burger’s ad campaign, the idea was part brilliant marketing, part delicious dare.

Essentially, they wanted to prove that plant-based meats can be just as flavorful as their animal counterparts. So, what better way to silence the skeptics than by tackling the ultimate taboo flavor? Their mission was also to show that plants could replicate any meat, human included.

The mystical burger’s ingredients? Think less “Soylent Green” and more wholesome mock meats: soy, mushrooms, wheat protein, plant-based fats, and a “mysterious spice mix,” according to Insider. Åkerman noted that creativity is their secret weapon in changing how people eat, suggesting this weird and wonderful creation sparks that shift.

Now, let’s talk business. Oumph! initially launched with plant-based pulled pork in Sweden and soon took Europe by storm, spreading their tendrils to the Netherlands, Germany, and the U.K. By 2020, their U.K. sales had surged by 400%, and they’d even expanded to Australia.

This prompted a noteworthy acquisition in June 2020 by LIVEKINDLY co., which shares the ambition of transforming global food systems. Their collective goal? To be able to feed ten billion mouths by 2050 sustainably. Quite the tall order, but one bite at a time, right?

With their evolving product range now including items like smokehouse-style ribs, bacon bits, buffalo bites, kebabs, and – of course – burgers, Oumph! has its eyes firmly on the prize. Their Halloween ad might’ve been a kitschy fever dream, but the message was serious: plant-based meats can taste sensational.

Co-founder Anna-Kajsa Lidell spoke to their aspirations, saying the goal is to capture both the taste and texture of meat convincingly. It’s a tall order, but doable. Moreover, she highlighted sustainability, health, and ethical reasons as added incentives for turning meat-eaters into plant-based enthusiasts.

“As consumers become more aware of the widespread use of antibiotics within industrial farming, I believe they will make more selective choices in their diet,” Lidell opined. She envisions a future where people eat smarter, not strictly plant-based or else, but with a conscience for health – both theirs and the planet’s.

Ultimately, Oumph!’s ‘human meat’ campaign is just another creative step toward changing our eating habits in revolutionary, yet appetizing ways. The ‘flesh-tasting’ burger was an endeavor as thrilling as it was daunting. “This is our ultimate and weird way of showing that it’s possible to create any type of food using just plants,” corporate chef Anders Linden said.

So, what’s the takeaway? Maybe you’re never going to eat a burger that’s human-flesh-inspired, but Oumph! is proving that plant-based eating isn’t just a passing fad—it’s the future. And sometimes, that future might just taste as bizarre as humanly possible.