Vegan in Japan: Burger King Now Has a Plant-Based Whopper

You can now snag a vegan Whopper in Japan. Select Burger King locations throughout the country just launched a new plant-based patty. And it features the same “smoky, fragrant taste” of its animal-based counterpart—made possible by the company’s unique “direct fire grilling method.”

According to the fast-food chain, the Plant-Based Whopper features “100 percent vegetable patties derived from soybeans” by plant-based meat brand v2food.

The company spent two years of “trial and error” developing the plant-based burger. It includes pickles, fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion—all sandwiched between a toasted sesame bun. 

The meatless burger features ketchup and conventional mayonnaise. The Plant-Based Whopper’s buns contain dairy. The chain cooks the patties on shared equipment with Burger King’s meat patties.

The meatless burger is available for a limited time and in limited quantities.

Burger King Launches Vegan Whopper

This isn’t the first plant-based burger the fast-food chain has launched.

Burger King locations in the U.S. launched the Impossible Whopper in April 2019, which features Impossible Foods’ vegan patty.

Locations across the country also trialed The Impossible Croissan’wich earlier this year. The breakfast sandwich included an Impossible sausage patty, eggs, and cheese on a croissant.

Unilever-owned plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher has also launched several of its products with the chain. 

Burger King U.K. launched its own plant-based burger in January 2020. The “Rebel Whopper” featured a vegan patty, produced by The Vegetarian Butcher. In September, Burger King Germany added vegan chicken nuggets to its menu, also developed by plant-based meat company.

And in December, Burger King Mexico began serving The Vegetarian Butcher’s plant-based burger. The Whopper Vegetal—which translates to Vegetable Whopper—is the first plant-based burger on the menu in the country.

“At Unilever, we are very excited to expand our partnership with Burger King. The Whopper Vegetal offers meat lovers a delicious option that is cooked and tastes like beef, but is 100 percent plant-based,” Adelma González, General Director of Unilever Food Solutions Mexico and North of Latin America, said in a press release.