Protein-based meat analogs

A fermented meat analog, comprising:

• fermented protein strands having intra-strand pores disposed within each of said fermented protein strands, longitudinal axes of at least 80% of said fermented protein strands being within 30 degrees of a longitudinal axis, said fermented protein strands having a dimensionless aspect ratio ASPPROD defined by:
• ASPPROD=L2/Ax
• wherein:
• L is the average length of said fermented protein strands, each individual strand length taken along the longitudinal axis thereof;
• and
• Ax is the average radial cross-sectional area of said fermented protein strands;
• wherein ASPPROD is at least 8;
• wherein the fermented meat analog has inter-strand voids disposed between said fermented protein strands;
• and
• a mycelium of a fermenting microorganism, disposed within said intra-strand pores,
• said mycelium further disposed within said inter-strand voids, such that hyphae of said mycelium mechanically bind together the fermented protein strands to form the fermented meat analog;
• said intra-strand pores having a short dimension of at least 0.05 mm, and wherein, within a longitudinal cross-section along the long dimension of said fermented protein strands, said intra-strand pores make up 5 to 25% of the total area of said longitudinal cross-section;
• and wherein a void fraction within a second, radial cross-section of the fermented meat analog, taken perpendicular to said longitudinal cross-section, is within a range of 5 to 20 area %.