“Before we begin the experiment in earnest, I’d like to hear briefly from our experts on how they distinguish fake meat.”
Kim Tae-hyun addressed President Kim from the distribution industry first.
“President Kim, do you have a secret to your 30-year career?”
“When you’ve looked at meat for about 30 years, you just get a feel for it.”
President Kim spoke confidently, beginning his explanation with expressive hand gestures.
“First of all, the color is different. Hanwoo is a truly vivid red. You could say it’s a transparent and clean red, like a ruby. But imports tend to be darker and murkier. In the case of American beef specifically, it can sometimes be almost brown.”
He paused for a moment to think before continuing.
“Hmm… and the color of the fat is completely different too. Hanwoo fat is white but feels like it has a slight cream tone. It’s the kind of color that looks like it’s dripping with gloss. Imports are often slightly yellowish or even grayish.”
President Kim spoke even more passionately.
“The marbling pattern, in particular, is distinctly different. In Hanwoo, it spreads very naturally. It has a natural smudge, like clouds rising or one drop of ink falling into water. But imports, especially Australian beef, are too regular. It feels like something made artificially.”
Next was Professor Park’s turn.
“Professor, do you approach this from a scientific perspective?”
“Yes, I suppose it’s because I’m a scholar. First of all, Hanwoo is completely different starting from the thickness of the muscle fibers.”
Professor Park adjusted his glasses as he spoke.
“Hanwoo muscle fibers are thin and dense. It’s a genetic characteristic that has developed through isolation in our country over many years.”
He explained, drawing delicate lines with his finger.
“On the other hand, most imports have thick and sparse muscle fibers. There are differences that can be distinguished with the naked eye even without a microscope. The fatty acid composition is also different. Hanwoo has a unique ratio of oleic and linoleic acid, which creates its inherent flavor.”
Professor Park continued with a more technical explanation.
“And the protein structure is also subtly different. Hanwoo has a unique way the myosin and actin proteins bind, showing a characteristic elasticity when heated. This is the key to creating Hanwoo’s unique texture.”
Teacher Lee, the columnist, answered with a relaxed smile, like someone who had done many broadcasts.
“I approach it more through the senses. I distinguish it by smell. This is a method many gourmets use.”
He made a gesture of lightly sniffing his nose.
“Hanwoo has a truly unique savory scent. It’s like… how should I put it? Hmm… it’s like the savory smell from my maternal grandmother’s house? It has a warm and cozy scent. Even in a raw state, there is almost no fishy smell, and instead, a sweet scent spreads subtly.”
Teacher Lee continued his explanation while waving his hand.
“But imports are heavier and stronger. Sometimes the smell of feed remains, and especially for cattle fed a lot of grain, that smell is often soaked into the meat. You can tell immediately if you grill it, but we can’t do that today. Haha.”
He added a word with a bit of regret.
“Hanwoo has a different scent when grilled. It has a cleaner and deeper aroma.”
President Choi, the farm owner, nodded in agreement.
“That’s right, that’s right! Since I look at it from the perspective of someone who raises them, it’s even clearer.”
He explained while making a motion as if touching something with both hands.
“American beef is mainly fed corn in large feedlots to put on weight in a short period. So the texture difference is huge; some parts are too soft, while some parts are too tough.”
President Choi explained in more detail.
“On the other hand, because Hanwoo is raised for nearly 30 months on a small scale and managed meticulously by individual animal, the muscle development is even and the texture is uniform. Australian cattle exercise a lot because they are often free-range, so their muscle fibers are thick.”
He made a gesture as if feeling the elasticity with his hand.
“Thanks to proper management, Hanwoo has a texture that is both elastic and soft.”
Everything they were saying was theoretically correct.
Everyone has a plausible plan.
However, whether they can actually distinguish it in practice is a problem on an entirely different level.
Finally, it was my turn.
“What about you, Mr. Jeong?”
“Hmm… I tend to look at things comprehensively. Color, smell, and touch… I make a judgment by considering several factors together.”
I simply gave a brief answer so it would be easier to explain as much as possible later.
No matter how long the preview is stretched out, it’s meaningless if the main feature is a mess, isn’t it? There is no movie that becomes a hit just because the trailer was well-made.
Kim Tae-hyun nodded with satisfaction.
“As expected, everyone has their own know-how. Then, shall we check now?”
President Kim moved first.
Professor Park was looking closely at the color, and Teacher Lee was sniffing the smell.
I also naturally approached starting from Set A.
I put my hand on the sirloin of the first set.
In an instant, information entered my head.
‘Hmm… this is…’
It was baffling, but I had to maintain my poker face. The camera was pointing at me.
I moved slowly to Set B.
I touched the ribs.
Another piece of information came in.
For a moment, I doubted myself.
‘This… no way…’
I checked Set C as well.
I touched all the sets in order, including Set D and Set E.
The moment I grasped all the information, I felt like I understood why people of this era used the term ‘broadcasting station bastards.’
‘Doing something this ridiculous…’
However, there was still a lot of time left. I couldn’t just stand there blankly.
I went back to Set A and pretended to look closely at the color. Even though I already knew everything, I had to act out the dilemma like the other experts.
I picked up the tenderloin and smelled it. The cameraman caught it in a close-up.
“Hmm…”
I let out a low sound and tilted my head.
This time, I went to Set C and pretended to examine the fat distribution. I traced the marbling with my finger and put on a serious expression.
Professor Park, who was next to me, spoke.
“What do you think? Do you have a feel for it?”
“Well… there seem to be some subtle differences…”
It wasn’t a lie. This really was a subtle difference.
I went back to Set E and touched the meat for bulgogi.
The 10 minutes felt far too long to me.
President Kim touched Set D and spoke to Professor Park.
“Professor, how do you see this? Doesn’t the fat distribution seem a bit strange?”
Professor Park came over and looked at it with him.
“Hmm… it certainly is a bit different from the others. But then again, there are individual differences even within Hanwoo…”
Teacher Lee tilted his head in front of Set B.
“The smell here is a bit… it feels like something is different.”
President Choi showed interest and approached.
“What kind of smell?”
“It feels subtly different… it’s hard to explain, though.”
President Choi sniffed it.
“I’m not really sure. They all look similar to me.”
President Kim pointed to Set A and spoke.
“Judging by color alone, this is the most suspicious. You could say it’s slightly darker than the others?”
Professor Park shook his head.
“No, I’m more suspicious of Set C. The marbling pattern seems a bit artificial.”
Teacher Lee cut in.
“Really? To me, Set C actually looks the most natural…”
Opinions were divided. The experts appearing on the show were slowly starting to fall into chaos.
President Choi said with a laugh.
“This is why it’s hard for consumers. Even we are at this point.”
I quietly listened to their conversation while pretending to touch Set E.
Seeing their serious discussion made my heart feel complicated.
President Kim asked me.
“What do you think, Mr. Jeong? Is there anything you’re getting a feel for?”
I hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Well… I’m not certain yet.”
It wasn’t that I lacked certainty about the information of the meat I saw, but rather that I lacked certainty about whether the broadcasting station people had really prepared something like this.
***
“Now, 10 minutes have passed. Everyone, please take your seats and announce your choices.”
Following Kim Tae-hyun’s guidance, everyone sat in the chairs in front of the tables.
“President Kim, please speak first.”
“I choose Set C. The marbling looked different from the others.”
“How about you, Professor Park?”
“Set C. I also felt the fat distribution was a bit artificial.”
Teacher Lee raised his hand.
“I choose Set B. The smell was subtly different.”
“And President Choi?”
“Hmm… I also choose Set B. The color seemed a bit different.”
Kim Tae-hyun summarized the results.
“It’s split two to two. Two votes each for Set C and Set B.”
He flashed a smile as if he found it amusing.
I felt like I knew the meaning of that smile.
“This is very interesting. Even experts have such divided opinions. Well then, the majority opinion will be decided by Mr. Jeong’s final vote.”
The camera caught me in a close-up. The audience also watched with bated breath.
“Mr. Jeong, which set will you choose?”
I hesitated for a moment.
Then, I slowly opened my mouth.
“I’m sorry, but… I think all five are fake.”
The studio went silent in an instant. Kim Tae-hyun’s relaxed expression hardened.
“Excuse me? What did you say?”
“All five sets contain imported meat mixed in.”
The audience members started buzzing.
“Huh? What is he saying?”
“All five are fake?”
The other participants also stared at me with bewildered expressions.
Kim Tae-hyun struggled to hide his flustered state and spoke.
“Mr. Jeong, how could all five…”
“I’m certain. Every set contains mixed meat.”
The studio fell quiet. Kim Tae-hyun looked back at the staff with a panicked expression. In a situation where they had decided to proceed without editing, something unexpected had happened.
Professor Park asked as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Then… truly in all five?”
Kim Tae-hyun nodded reluctantly.
“That’s right. What Mr. Jeong said is accurate.”
The buzzing among the audience grew louder.
“How did he know that?”
“All five were fake?”
President Kim let out a hollow laugh.
“So, you’re saying it was our mistake to think only one was fake from the beginning?”
“We asked you to find the set with a problem at first… but in fact, imported meat was mixed into all five sets.”
Teacher Lee was dumbfounded.
“So we were looking based on a wrong premise from the start?”
It was the moment all the participants realized they had been fooled.
But no one had technically lied. Because they never said to find ‘only’ one from the beginning.
Kim Tae-hyun continued the hosting with a deflated expression. From the start, it seemed he had wanted to create a situation where even I couldn’t get it perfectly right.
“Then… could you explain… how you knew that, Mr. Jeong?”
The camera caught me in a close-up. The audience also waited with bated breath. It was the moment all eyes were focused on me.
Now was a more important moment than simply having gotten the answer right. Explaining how I got it right was the real crux of the matter. Because for me, this was much more difficult.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Australian Wagyu F1 is mixed into all five sets.”
The audience looked puzzled. Since I was even certain about the imported breed that was mixed in, they couldn’t help but be surprised. Then, shall I go one step further?
“Australian-produced Wagyu F1 is very difficult to distinguish from Hanwoo.”
Kim Tae-hyun showed interest and asked.
“I’d like to hear more. In what ways is it so similar?”
“First of all, it’s hard to distinguish by appearance. The body type, skeletal structure, and muscle distribution are very similar to Hanwoo. Especially the marbling pattern, which is almost identical to Hanwoo.”
I continued explaining while pointing to Set A.
“The meat color is also a vivid red, almost the same as Hanwoo, and the color and distribution of the fat are at a level that is difficult to distinguish. It’s also hard to feel a difference through smell or texture.”
President Kim, sitting next to me, nodded.
“That’s true. What Mr. Jeong says is correct.”
“The most difficult part is that these Australian Wagyu F1s are breeds that are genetically very close to Hanwoo. Japanese Wagyu itself is from the same lineage as Hanwoo. Moreover, given the limited time like today, even experts would have been very confused.”
“Ah… I see.”
Kim Tae-hyun also showed a surprised reaction. The other participants were also turning their heads to look at me. Everyone had a look of relief at my words.
“However, I saw a few minute differences.”
The camera caught me in a close-up.
“First is the melting point of the fat. Hanwoo has a slightly lower melting point at body temperature. When I touched it with my hand, the fat of the Australian Wagyu F1 was slightly firmer than Hanwoo.”
Professor Park asked with a surprised look.
“Can a person’s hand feel such a minute difference?”
“It’s possible if you have enough experience. Second is the grain of the muscle fibers. Since Wagyu F1 is a hybrid after all, the muscle fibers are slightly thicker than Hanwoo.”
I continued explaining while pointing at the meat.
“Third is the smell. Teacher Lee also mentioned the smell when the broadcast started, didn’t you?”
“Huh? Yes… ah… right. The smell.”
Teacher Lee’s face turned red.
“Just as he said, though it is very subtle, Wagyu F1 has a slightly stronger grass scent. I think it’s the influence of being raised on Australian pastures.”
“To distinguish even such detailed parts…”
Teacher Lee was impressed.
“Lastly is the difference in color. While Hanwoo is vivid red, Wagyu F1 has a very slightly darker red hue. You can tell if you look closely under the lights.”
President Kim shook his head.
“Oh… I didn’t feel that at all… you really are amazing.”
Kim Tae-hyun still had an expression of disbelief.
“But could you be certain about all five with just that much difference?”
“At first, I was suspicious too, but as I checked them one by one, I became certain.”
It was a plausible explanation, even to me. It wasn’t like I had made up things that didn’t exist. After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I explained again.
“I’ll start by explaining why Australian Wagyu F1 is so similar to Hanwoo.”
The camera caught me in a close-up again. I felt like I was getting more solo shots today than the host. Being noticed for this kind of thing is always a good feeling.
What more verification could be needed?
Perfection is the word for times like this.