Why do many Vegetarian Products try to taste like MEAT?

I don't know why they make them try to taste like meat, because I being a vegetarian, don't like the taste of meat. But I think that's a BK Veggie, which I do find rather tasty. I'd imagine they know what meat tastes like because most people that are vegetarians now, haven't always been, either. Maybe this helps a bit.

I believe that part of the question is asinine, in that I doubt there are many people born and grow up as vegetarians (now perhaps I'm wrong, but here in America I'd be willing to bet I'm right). So very, very few people don't know what meat tastes like. So part of the answer goes back to Jonathan's answer in that most vegetarians used to eat meat, and I'm guessing the switch can be tough (at times for people who were brought up eating a certain way. Perhaps also, producers wish to offer products that make it easier to make that transition to vegetarian. Now Jonathan says he doesn't like meat and I can see that as a push for most consumers but I know a lot of "partial" vegetarians who may may want the "meat like substance" ;-) to help hold them to that vegetarian diet. I think a lot of vegetarianism is driven by diet and health concerns as well.

Maybe they like the taste of meat, just not the idea of it.

It's a marketing scheme. They want to make the food appealing to everyone, even vegetarians. If your a vegetarian for health reasons you would never be stepping into a Burger King. All that conventional food is processed and full of chemicals anyway but thats off topic.

Because it's delicious...

;)

I've been a vegetarian for 4 years, don't like the taste of meat, so i don't eat imitation meat. But other vegetarians do it purely for heath reasons or because they don't want to kill animals but they still like the taste. Simple Enough.

Like anything else, it's a personal preference. Truth be told, I'm a pescetarian who doesn't particularly like vegetables. I can't eat a salad by itself and consider it a meal!

While I do love seafood, I haven't eaten red meat for over 20 years -- but I do enjoy a lot of things made from fake meat. The texture of a Boca Burger is much more satisfying to my palate than broccoli, for instance. The thought of eating actual meat is unappealing to me, but there are so many tasty things that can be concocted from faux flesh that I don't feel like I'm limiting my diet to the short assortment of foodstuffs traditionally allocated to vegetarians.

My real weaknesses are bread and cheese, though. I don't see myself ever going vegan (or even fully vegetarian). Fake meat can be pretty awesome, but I haven't found a fake cheese about which I can say the same!

Gimme Lean sausage is a good example of something I've passed off to meat eaters as a completely delicious (and oodles more healthy) alternative to the real thing. In the end, it's all about the spices and the texture. I wish someone would invent an equally satisfying fake gyros "meat!"