We tried the £30 vegan ribs with edible ‘bones’, but can you really eat the ‘bones’?

We tried the new hyper-realistic viral vegan ribs with edible bones from Juicy Marbles, and this is what we thought…

Have you gone vegan but miss digging into a rack of ribs and picking the bones clean? Well, this new product from plant-based pioneers Juicy Marbles might just be the answer to your prayers – vegan ribs with edible bones!

With its hyper-realistic creation, the Slovenian company aims to give vegans the opportunity to experience the ‘primal joy’ of eating meat off the bone.

For many people, giving up foods they love is a real barrier to going vegan, so being able to enjoy the same taste, mouthfeel and eating experience helps to remove those barriers (and excuses!).

Although people often think vegans only enjoy eating vegetables and pulses, in reality, many of us didn’t quit eating meat because we didn’t enjoy eating it.  The truth is we couldn’t continue to contribute to animals’ suffering with our food choices. Especially not when we have options like this that are so close to the real thing!

These ribs give us the best of both worlds – they’re cruelty-free and provide the same culinary experience so we can indulge in foods we once loved with a clear conscience.

However, at nearly £30 for a 500g pack* they don’t come cheap, so we wanted to put them to the test to see whether they’re worth the premium price tag…

Nutritional profile

Juicy Marbles don’t just want to re-create the shape of meat, but the entire experience – including its macro/micronutrient profile.

So, they’ve crafted the vegan ribs using a clever combination of soy protein, natural flavourings and a dash of red beet juice to give them their bloody appearance.

Using a mysterious machine dubbed the ‘Meat-o-Matic 9000’, they’ve been able to layer the plant protein into linear fibres, mimicking muscle structures. This gives the ribs a texture that is so meat-like that I don’t think a meat-eater would be able to spot the difference.

Interestingly, the bones are also made out of nutritious soy-based plant protein, meaning they can also be eaten. For a crispy  snack with more protein than jerky, Juicy Marbles says you can fry, bake or stick them in an air-fryer to crisp up.

Bone-In Ribs are not just about taste; they also pack a punch in terms of nutrition. With each 100g serving providing 50% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin B12, and an impressive 18g.

For comparison, pork ribs contain 20.7g of protein per 100g and just 0.35µg of B12 which is around 15% of your daily intake.

Taste test

These ribs are not for the squeamish and long-term vegans might find the appearance a little unnerving!

Straight out of the packet, the ribs cleverly mimic the look of meat complete with fatty marbling and myoglobin (the oozing red liquid that looks like blood).

Juicy Marbles really has gone above and beyond to make sure vegans get the full experience with this clever culinary innovation.

I opted to smother my ribs with a generous layer of BBQ sauce as the sweet, sticky, smokey flavours to make them as authentic as possible, but you can also apply a spice rub using a little oil to help the spices stick.

Unlike traditional ribs which require hours of slow cooking to achieve the same tender texture, the vegan ribs are ready in a speedy 15-20 minutes. Mine were perfectly cooked at 200C in 15 minutes without having to wait around for hours.

The meat is soft, tender and stringy with a good meaty bite that melts in the mouth like slow-cooked pork so you don’t have to chew it for ages.

The taste is meaty with a subtle smokiness and very little trace of the soy in the ingredients. Without the marinade, there isn’t much flavour, but you wouldn’t eat ribs without marinating them or adding a spice rub.

After all, as we vegans always say – it’s not the meat that tastes good, it’s what you flavour it with!

It’s by far the most meaty product I’ve eaten in my 10 years of veganism, and I had a real battle to convince my brain that it wasn’t real meat.

As someone who has never eaten ribs before, I was a little bit freaked out initially, but I absolutely loved having the opportunity to try a dish so many people rave about without harming any animals.

Plus, the leftovers were great for making pulled ‘pork’ with. After chomping through a couple of ribs, I ended up shredding the remaining meaty parts which I enjoyed in bao buns for dinner the next day.

The concept of edible bones might seem like a strange one, but Juicy Marbles doesn’t want you to take the product too seriously. Instead, they encourage you to play with your food, get stuck in with your friends, and most importantly have some fun!

But although technically edible, in reality, the bone isn’t something you’d want to eat. They’re incredibly chewy with a meaty flavour, but without the benefit of a spice rub or marinade, it is just bland.

The tip of the bone is charred and crispy with the overwhelming flavour of burnt meat. This was surprising as Juicy Marbles recommends crisping up the bones in the oven, but I wasn’t a fan.

I do like that you could nibble on it with a pot of dipping sauce if you’re feeling extra peckish or are trying your best to minimise food waste. In that respect, it’s nice that in theory, no part goes to waste, unlike normal ribs where the bones are discarded.

However, in reality, I can imagine after a few curious nibbles most people will end up throwing them in the compost bin.

The verdict

Although they might not float everyone’s boat, these are by far one of the most exciting, innovative vegan products to hit the market in the last 10 years. After all, you know a vegan product is exciting when it even makes headlines in the MSM!

Juicy Marbles has absolutely nailed the texture and flavour of the meaty part of the ribs (which is no surprise given they’ve already nailed vegan steaks!). Although I’m not convinced by the ‘bones’, I thoroughly enjoyed being encouraged to play with my food and the sensory experience of getting hands-on with it.

Would I buy them again? Perhaps not at the current price point, but I definitely would if they came down in price. Fingers crossed they hit the supermarkets soon because they’re sure to cause a stir!

*Juicy Marbles was previously selling two 500g packets of its vegan ribs for 66 euros (£57). The product is available for pre-release via limited ‘drops’—where small quantities will go on sale in the UK, EU, and US via Juicy Marble’s website. Make sure to follow them on social media to be the first to know about upcoming drops. 

Love mock meats and want to try making your own? Get creative with these epic seitan recipes. 

Featured photo © Vegan Food & Living