Mos Burger’s burgers are still moss-free, but this new one doesn’t use any animal products either.

The name Mos Burger can be kind of off-putting to English-speakers, with “Wait, is it a burger made out of moss?” being a common initial reaction. But as well-informed Japanese burger fans know, the “Mos” part of the Mos Burger chain’s name is an abbreviation for “mountain, ocean, sky,” meant to evoke a sense of natural deliciousness.

If anything, Mos Burger is especially fond of meaty flavors, what with the company’s founder getting his original inspiration from a popular local chili burger chain in Los Angeles, and adapting that into covering Mos’ signature burgers with a special pasta-like meat sauce. But while there’s no moss to be found in a Mos Burger, the company has begun offering a completely vegan burger as of this month.

The Green Burger, which also goes by Mos Plant-based Green Burger, uses no meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, or any other animal-based ingredients whatsoever. As with many meat substitutes, the patty is made from soybean, but enhanced with cabbage and konyaku, the same traditional Japanese yam gelatin we can thank for the tasty canned ramen vending machine noodles we ate in Akihabara.

The buns get their intriguing light green color from spinach puree, which Mos says helps accentuate the natural sweetness of the various veggies that go into the sandwich. And because Mos’ regular meat sauce is obviously a no-go for the Green Burger, instead there’s a brand-new tomato sauce with carrot and burdock root, another traditional Japanese ingredient, to give a meaty texture, plus a selection of flavorful herb seasonings.

With the Green Burger, Mos says it wanted to not only provide an option that’s vegan, but one that tastes good too. Priced at 538 yen (US$5), the sandwich is currently on sale at nine Mos Burger locations, eight in Tokyo (at the Roppongi, Akihabara Suehirocho, Mos Cafe Omotesando, Mos Cafe Ginza Nine, Mos Cafe Nishi Ginza, Osaki, Mos Cafe Hankyu Oimachi, and Haneda Airport Terminal 3 branches) and one in Kanagawa (Mos Cafe Enoshima), and depending on customer response, the chain hopes to expand the Green Burger’s availability to its restaurants across Japan in May.

On the other hand, if you absolutely need meat in your meal, Mos is still offering their “Furby burgers” too.

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