We tried 3D-printed fish at Edinburgh vegan restaurant and were gobsmacked

From edinburghlive.co.uk

By Nicholas Malizia

We headed to Sora Diana on Causwayside to try 3D-printed fish during their special trial of a new product

Lots of people think going vegan means giving up comfort foods and traditional home-style dishes, but that's not the case.

Especially now, with plant-based food science getting better and better, vegan alternatives to your favourite dishes are becoming easier to find and increasingly convincing.

That's what brought me to Sora Diana one Saturday August 16 to try 3D printed "fish".

Sora Diana, located on Causewayside in city centre serves mouth-watering vegan Italian food. Their menu includes vegan versions of Italian classics like carbonara, ravioli, pizza, and even plant-based steaks.

I've been vegetarian for nearly a decade, with three years of veganism in the middle. Vegan food remains one of my favourite types of cuisine but one thing I've always missed is fish. I grew up in the United States fishing off the coast of the Jersey Shore and nothing hits more than a good fillet.

I was eager to try the vegan "fish" after nine years as a vegetarian

When I ordered the 3D-printed fish, I was curious how similar it would be to real fish. Sora Diana is offering the dish for a limited time only while they trial the product on their menu. It comes from Revo foods, which specialises in plant-based, 3D printed "meat" products.

They use cutting-edge technology to print plant-based "fish" using an edible "ink". Revo also sells "salmon" and "octopus" products, which includes tentacles and suction cups.

I should begin with the slight disclaimer that I haven't eaten fish since I was 16, which was nearly 10 years ago.

However, I was shocked to find that the white "fish" bore a striking resemblance to the real thing. The fillet had an uncannily fishy flavour. Even the oils had a similar mouth feel. Internally, it even had the ridges and lines of real fish and had a soft melt-in-the-mouth flavour.

I'll admit, the first bite initially feels a bit foreign but then the fishy flavour really hits and you wonder how they got it to taste that way using only plant-based ingredients

The dish was paired with red and yellow tomatoes, sautéed samphire, and fluffy pita, rounding out a really delicious and hearty meal.

Overall, I'd say the fillet was not exactly, 100 per cent identical in texture to fish but it was undeniably tasty and definitely the most convincing plant-based meat substitute I’ve ever tried. It gives a genuine fillet a run for its money and is something I would recommend to non-vegans as a delicious, well-rounded meal.

Lots of us who go vegan and vegetarian didn’t do so because we didn’t dislike the taste of meat, so having plant based alternatives to familiar, homy recipes is comforting.

Sora Diana introduced the white fish today, Saturday, August 16 and it is available while stocks last. The Revo product may make a permanent appearance on the menu if the trial goes well, so try it while you can.

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/tried-3d-printed-fish-edinburgh-32289139

3D-printed calamari is back on the menu

From popsci.com 

The updated recipe builds on previous research into plant-based seafood alternatives

In 2023, researchers at the National University of Singapore unveiled their early attempts at realistic, nutritious 3D-printed vegan calamari rings. While results at the time tasted similar to the real thing, its inventors conceded that the texture didn’t quite work. That might seem like a minor caveat, but designing alternative cuisines that closely resemble their source dishes will be necessary if society wants to transition towards a more sustainable food industry. 

After two years of trial and error, the researchers have returned with an updated fried calamari recipe they say finally matches the real thing. Not only that, but it actually provides 5 percent more protein than actual squid. Their results were recently published in the American Chemical Society.

         The vegan dish includes five percent more protein than actual calamari. Credit: Credit: ACS Food Science & Technology (2025)

The new 3D-printed recipe still starts as plant-based paste made from isolated mung bean protein and powdered microalgae. But researchers also determined a precise mixture of extra ingredients to give their faux-calamari its familiar textural springiness. In addition to 10 percent powdered microalgae, the improved mixture also includes 1.5 percent gellan gum for thickening and 2 percent canola oil for fat content.

To make the meal, each calamari is 3D printed in rings about 1.8 inches wide. Unlike previous trials, the team this time allowed the uncooked rings to freeze overnight. The following day, the researchers battered and quickly deep-fried their vegan calamari before proceeding to the taste tests.

Microscopic imaging of the rings indicated another key factor that helped improve the meal. Inside the cooked paste resided small structural voids that modified its overall softness in ways that better resembled actual seafood.

“This research showcases the potential of 3D printing to transform sustainable plant proteins… into seafood analogues,” said study lead author Poornima Vijayan.

Moving forward, Vijayan says it’s just a matter of scaling their product—and convincing hungry diners to give it a try.

https://www.popsci.com/science/3d-printed-calamari-vegan/