The chicken bites containing lab-grown meat will debut in a Singapore restaurant before being rolled out more widely across the country.
Singapore has granted San Francisco start-up Eat Just Inc. regulatory approval to sell its laboratory-grown chicken in the city-state — the world's first government to allow the sale of cultured meat.
The product, created from cultured chicken cells, has been approved as an ingredient in chicken bites following Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approval, Eat Just said Tuesday.
Initially, the chicken bites will debut in a Singapore restaurant, with plans for wider expansion into dining and retail establishments in the country, Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just told CNN Business. The product will be priced at parity with premium chicken, he added.
"We've been eating meat for many hundreds, thousands of years, always needing to kill an animal to eat — until now," he said.
The cultured meat is created in a bioreactor — an apparatus in which a biological reaction or change takes place — Eat Just said. It has a high protein content and is a rich source of minerals, according to the company, which plans to sell the product under the GOOD Meat brand.
For now, with manufacturing hubs in Singapore and Northern California, the company only has approval to sell the meat in Singapore, but it hopes to expand sales of cultured meat — including cultured beef — into the U.S. and Western Europe, Tetrick said.
Eat Just already produces a range of non-animal products, including Just Egg, made with mung beans, and a vegan mayonnaise.
The trend toward meat substitutes and plant-based protein, already growing in the United States, is also taking hold in Asia.
This year, despite the global economic turmoil triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, plant-based protein startup Impossible Foods secured about half a billion dollars in fresh funding, with investment mostly coming from heavyweight investors in Asia.
California-based Beyond Meat last month unveiled a meatless minced "pork" for launch in China, while Impossible launched its fake beef product in supermarkets in Hong Kong and Singapore in October, hoping to widen its footprint across Asia.
RELATED: 20-plus gift ideas for the cook who's in the kitchen now more than ever
Smart Garden 3 by Click & Grow
Instead of buying herbs from the store and inevitably letting them die in the fridge before they ever find their way into food, cooks can grow their own with this self-sustaining garden. Whether they choose basil or rosemary, or any of the other 50 plant varieties, all they have to do is add water, plug it in, and watch the plants mature for harvest. They can even grow peppers, tomatoes and flowers. $99.95, amazon.com
Lucky 88 Spice Lover's Gift Set by Fly By Jing
Whether you're a longtime chile head or just starting to dabble in spicy foods, this gift set from Sichuan is a great way to add to or start your collection. It includes Sichuan chile crisp, Zhong dumpling sauce, mala spice mix (numbingly spicy herbs and spices), three-year aged doubanjiang (a fermented bean paste), plus dried tribute pepper and erjingtiao chile. Not sure how to use it? The set includes a digital download featuring recipes and a guide to this region's fiery cuisine. $88, flybyjing.com
Mixed spritzes 2-Pack by Proteau
For the person on your list looking to skip alcohol, opt for these botanically driven beverages in a mixed pack featuring two flavors. The Ludlow Red features blackberry, chrysanthemum, black pepper and dandelion, and the Rivington Spritz is its sparkling counterpart, featuring hibiscus, chamomile flowers, Chinese rhubarb, the bitter root gentian, strawberries and a hint of vinegar. Enjoy the Ludlow Red slowly with food and savor the Rivington Spritz chilled or over ice. $39, drinkproteau.com
Fionia Tray by Skagerak
Both functional and beautiful, this tray hasn't changed its design since 1986. Whether you get it in oak or teak, this 52-inch-by-36-inch tray can be used for indoor and outdoor gatherings or for storing ingredients and displaying cookbooks. $189, battenhome.co
Petite Donabe by Toiro
These handmade clay pots make us squeal over how ridiculously cute they are. They can be used every day for making soups and stews, steaming fish and vegetables, or even steaming rice and grilling. They come in a personal size that fits in the hand and holds about 3/4 of a cup. Did we mention they're freaking adorable? $45, toirokitchen.com
Matcha Starter Kit by Jugetsudo
Encourage friends or family to take a few minutes to themselves when they make a fresh cup of matcha tea using this set by Jugetsudo USA. A 1-ounce can of matcha, a traditional tea bowl, a scoop and a whisk all come in a bamboo box. $79.49, jugetsudousa.com
Small Brushstroke Plates by Monsoon Pottery
Your friends and family are cooking more at home, so they should have beautiful plates to showcase their culinary creations. These wheel-thrown porcelain dishes by Monsoon Pottery feature beautiful, hand-painted black brushstrokes that bring them to life. $36 or $135 for four, monsoonpottery.com
Compact Swivel Cheese Board with Knives by Uncommon Goods
Not only can this bamboo cheeseboard be folded up and tucked away, it also comes with knives that are hidden away in their own little drawer. It's sure to star at any gathering with its multilevel wheel that is also brilliantly compact at 9.75 inches when the large version is folded up to store away. But why would anyone want to? $42 for standard, $64 for large (pictured), uncommongoods.com
Oyster Mushroom Wide Range Log by 2 Fun Guys
Unlike other plants, mushrooms don't really need light to grow, which makes this gift appropriate for all households, even those who live in low light spaces. Just add some water and patience. Good thing we have plenty of both during the pandemic. This log is inoculated with oyster mushroom spores, but shiitake logs are also available. $33, 2funguys.com
Visual Measuring Cup by Welcome Industries
Now that so many of us are baking more at home, it's time to throw out those cheap, banged-up measuring cups and upgrade to these cuties-with-a-twist from Welcome Industries, a Chicago-based and woman-owned design business. The dishwasher-safe cups, for 1/4-, 1/3-, 1/2- and 1-cup measures, cleverly show exactly how much they hold by their shape, which is a perfect application to teach measurements if there are little bakers-in-training at home. $24, amazon.com
Ceramic nonstick skillets
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The old scraped and scratched nonstick skillets raise environmental concerns, and they’re a pain to cook in. Now that we’re preparing more and more meals a day at home, we need quality pans to create quick batches of omelets, grilled cheese and stir-fries. This year, we upgraded to these GreenPan ceramic nonstick skillets for about $50. Now, we’re adding the GreenPan double-burner griddle to our wishlists so we can go big on pancake mornings.
— Kjerstin Gabrielson
Microwave splatter shield
With kids now attending school from home and raiding the fridge and freezer all day, microwave ovens are getting a lot more use — and it shows on the inside. That’s why our holiday wish list includes a microwave splatter guard, preferably in duplicate or triplicate. We’ve got our eye on this silicone Marna Piggy Steamer, recommended by the folks at America’s Test Kitchen, for covering potentially messy dishes. It’s a bit pricey at $17 (available on Amazon), but it will take up hardly any storage space, it’s got an adorable pig nose, America’s Test Kitchen says it also works as a grip for loosening jar lids — and who wants to spend more time cleaning the inside of the microwave?
— Amy Wang
Cookbook stand
We’re cooking at home more now, so we’re turning to cookbooks for new inspirations. But laying an open cookbook on a counter takes up precious space, and increases the chance that pages will get splattered with sauce. That’s why every cookbook lover needs a sturdy cookbook stand that’s strong enough to hold even heavy cookbooks at the perfect eye-angle, and protects pages with a transparent shield. Crate & Barrel has a beautiful stand for $39.95 that’s made out of beechwood, with a large acrylic shield that covers multiple pages. When not in use it folds flat for easy storage. For more of a splurge, Walmart has a giant cookbook stand for $80.94 that has a cherry-wood base that’s designed for large cookbooks, and has a hinged acrylic splatter guard that can be pulled forward for easy page turning.
— Grant Butler
6-Quart Air Fryer Lid by Instant Pot
Before you pull the trigger on buying another kitchen appliance for the cook on your list, consider getting them a new attachment for one they already bought, probably during the Instant Pot wave. The insanely popular pressure cooker now has its own air frying attachment, which home cooks can use in lieu of a deep fryer or air fryer to fry, roast, bake, broil, reheat and dehydrate. $79, amazon.com
'Time to Eat' by Nadiya Hussain
After binge-watching Nadiya Hussain's Netflix show "Time to Eat," fans can tackle some of the recipes in her eponymous cookbook. Not all delicious things have to be labor-intensive or time-consuming, and this book from the TV cooking show star, who gained fame by winning "The Great British Bake Off," will help put tasty dishes on the table without the stress. $29.99, amazon.com
Dutch oven
Sure, you could get by with a basic stock pot for most of your boiled-water cooking, but you want a Dutch oven when it’s time to get serious about winter stews, roasted chickens or any dish that starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. (Mark Bittman’s chicken and vegetable cobbler from The Oregonian’s recipe files is a perfect candidate.) This Martha Stewart 6-quart enamaled, cast-iron version has served us well for years now and is available at Macys for around $200 (catch the Black Friday special, and it’s $69.99).
— Kjerstin Gabrielson
Solid sheet pans
Growing up, we used sheet pans merely for baking giant batches of brownies or, you know, sheet cake. These days, we roast potatoes and vegetables several times a week or, heck, throw an entire meal’s ingredients on a single metal sheet. That means the pan needs to be sturdy enough to hold a pound or two or three of protein and veg. If you shop at any kitchen store, you’ll know by feel if the pan is up to the task. Online, look for rolled edges and heavy-gauge aluminum. Nordic Ware’s Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet has passed the test for years in our kitchen and gets high marks from Epicurious, Wirecutter and BonAppetit. Don’t kid yourself; you need at least two of these. Thankfully, the price is right at around $11 each.
— Kjerstin Gabrielson
Cutting boards
You just can’t have too many cutting boards. First, if you cook meat or fish, you should handle it on a separate cutting board to avoid cross-contamination. Second, it’s nice to have boards of different sizes for different tasks: a little one for mincing garlic and herbs, a medium one for cutting up fruit and vegetables, a big one for slicing a loaf of bread. Third, you can minimize kitchen counter cleanup by using cutting boards as mise-en-place platforms. Gather all the ingredients for, say, a mirepoix, on one; collect the ingredients for a salad on another. Cutting boards come in multiple materials and at all price points. Here are a couple recommended by America’s Test Kitchen: Teakhaus by Proteak Edge Grain Carving Board, for $100, Amazon; OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board, $18.
— Amy Wang
New spatulas
If you haven’t replaced your kitchen spatulas in a few years, it’s probably time. The silicone may have permanent stains from tomato sauces or dishes made with plenty of turmeric. And the edges probably have been nicked from scraping out tin cans. New spatulas are inexpensive, make great stocking stuffers, and can reflect a cook’s personality. Williams Sonoma has a fun line of celebrity-designed BPA-free spatulas that won’t chip, crack or absorb food odors and flavors, and have beechwood handles that look like an artist’s paintbrush. The spatula designed by Kristen Bell carries a message that seems apt for the moment: “Cooking is my love language.” It’s $14.95, and 30% of the retail price benefits Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry.
— Grant Butler
Burr coffee grinder
Since you’re working from home, you’re probably drinking more home-brewed coffee. If you’re still using a blade coffee grinder, you know they produce uneven grounds, resulting in pots of coffee with inconsistent strength. It’s time to upgrade to a burr coffee grinder — just like what they use in coffee shops to get the coffee ground perfectly every time. Burr grinders have adjustable grind settings, ranging from coarse grounds for cold-brew or French press coffee, to super-fine grounds for espresso. And they have hoppers that store a half pound of coffee at a time, adding to their convenience. Fancy-pants models can run well over $100, but there are solid burr grinders from dependable names like Mr. Coffee and Chefman that you can find on Amazon for under $50.
— Grant Butler
Salad spinner
Salads made with soggy greens are unappetizing. Patting lettuce leaves with a dishcloth won’t blot up all the moisture, and is impractical if you’re making big salads for your family. A large salad spinner holds enough greens for six servings of salad. Just toss in the greens, cover them with water, and let the greens sit for 10 minutes. That bath will revive any greens that were starting to turn limp, and the water will let any dirt or gritty residue float to the bottom of the spinner. Then it’s time to dump the water and take the greens for a spin (a fun kitchen assignment for young ones). You’ll be amazed at how much water comes off of those greens. And the spinner can be used on fresh herbs, too. Amazon features top-rated brands like OXO and Cuisinart for under $30.
— Grant Butler
Potato ricer
We aren’t fans of specialty kitchen gadgets that do only one thing, like avocado slicers or cherry pitters. We’ll make an exception for a potato ricer, which turns steamed potatoes into the lightest, fluffiest mashed potatoes ever. Cooked potatoes go into a large drum, then are squeezed through a mesh sieve. Our favorite is the OXO Good Grips stainless steel model, which Home Depot sells for the great price of $25.99. You can rest it on the edge of a bowl for easy use, and you can use it to make homemade baby food and fruit purees — so it’s not a single-use gadget after all!
— Grant Butler, gbutler@oregonian.com; Kjerstin Gabrielson, kgabrielson@oregonian.com; Amy Wang, awang@oregonian.com
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CNN Business' Michelle Toh contributed reporting.
