Code-Cracking the Sea as Brazil Maps the Flavour Blueprint for Plant-Based Fish

For anyone who’s ever tried a plant-based fish finger and thought, “Nice idea, but it still smells like beans,” science might finally have your back. Researchers in Brazil have mapped the exact aroma compounds that make real fish smell and taste “from the sea.” Their work with mushroom-based fillets and soy–oat blends at the Federal University of Lavras has decoded the volatile molecules that turn bland into believable.

The team’s secret weapon? Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) and enzymatic tweaking. Using gas-chromatography analysis, they identified which aromas trigger “fresh fish” responses and which produce that dreaded stale or grassy note. Early sensory panels preferred one formulation, known only as T17, that delivered a truer ocean scent and texture.

For consumers, that means the next wave of plant-based fish might finally fool your nose as well as your taste buds. Less guilt, same sizzle. Taste, after all, is the last barrier standing between curiosity and repeat purchase—and Brazil may have just helped reel that in.

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