Umami Burger upped its already cool status to ‘impossibly’ cool earlier this year when it announced a partnership with Impossible Foods, the cool, innovative Bay Area startup which makes meat-like burgers entirely from plants.
Now, both are getting another tick in the impossibly awesome category as actor and musician (and son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith), Jaden Smith, 19, has joined in the fun with the launch of the limited-edition “Jaden’s Impossible Trio” – sliders featuring Impossible burgers in three distinct styles: the original Impossible (a traditional American burger style); Korean BBQ, which features gochujang glaze, caramelized kimchi, sesame aioli, Korean ketchup, and scallion-cilantro salad; and a traditional BBQ slider with Umami’s BBQ sauce, tempura serranos, and smoked salt onion strings.
“From the first time I tasted the Impossible Burger, I knew I wanted to be part of the positive change that Umami and Impossible Foods were creating,” Smith said in a statement. “They are at the forefront of food and technology and continue to move into the future of plant based diets. I’m excited to celebrate this social impact and bring the youth with me.”
The launch is part of Umami Burger’s Artist Series collaborations and every purchase of the sliders will contribute $1 to the American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts.
In addition to the health benefits of replacing animal-based burgers with plant-based burgers, the Impossible burgers generate about 87 percent fewer greenhouse gases and require around 95 percent less land and 75 percent less water than conventional beef.
“I’m trying to satisfy different flavors for people while, at the same time, trying to give them a plant based burger that they can enjoy,” Smith said in a promotional video for the launch. “But I also want there to be a social impact and social change aspect to it as well. So, one dollar of every burger that is sold through my partnership with Umami is going to be going to a specific for hurricane relief. I feel like this is very important for moving into the future of humanity with the plant-based diets for the world. And this is at the forefront of food technology and I just want to be a part of that positive change.”
