Quality Characteristics of Plant-Based Patties Formulated with Lentinula edodes Mycelium Produced by Submerged Fermentation and Different Fat Levels

Mushroom mycelium is gaining attention as a sustainable protein source because it can be produced reliably through submerged fermentation and has a low environmental impact. In this study, we investigated the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of plant-based (PB) patties formulated with Lentinula edodes mycelium (LM) and pork backfat at respective levels of 15/0, 10/5, 5/10, and 0/15% (w/w, wet basis), based on the total formulation weight, and compared them with pork patties. Proximate composition analysis showed that the PB patty treatments had lower fat content (0–10.68%) than the control (p < 0.05). The water-holding capacity of the treatment groups was approximately 1.8 times that of the control (p < 0.05). The treatment groups exhibited generally lower texture profile values compared to the control. Electronic nose analysis showed that higher LM inclusion was generally associated with greater peak intensities for tentatively assigned volatile compounds, including ethanol, dimethyl sulfide, ethyl acetate, 3-methylbutanal, and hexanal. Electronic tongue analysis results showed that sourness and umami increased as the LM content increased. Sensory evaluation revealed no significant differences in overall acceptability among the treatments (p > 0.05). These results suggest the feasibility of developing low-fat plant-based patty formulations using LM.