I can agree that there will always be subtle variations in textures of different substances, but I can guarantee you that we can affect the texture of a mixed product by altering the ingredients.

I’ve been managing restaurants for decades, with a few Italian places under my belt with Michelin star chefs. One restaurant group featured a rotating list that always had at least a dozen different meatballs.

I’ve seen them tweak all kinds of recipes, with all kinds of meats and grains. Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, goat, venison, even fuckin gator (which was Delicious!). I’ve also sold eggplant, chickpea, spinach, Beyond, Impossible, all kinds of shit in ball form.

I’ve seen these chefs tweak a recipe that uses the same volume of meat, crumbs, and other ingredients, to yield significantly different textures and flavors, just by playing with how they prep those ingredients. How finely they dice/chop/prep the same amount of an ingredient affects the texture.

How they prep the crumbs matters. What bread do they use, what’s it made of, how it was cooked before it crumbled, how finely it was crumbled, what seasonings were used that will bind with the fats and proteins from the meat.

All of this matters and all of it affects the flavor and texture. This isn’t just cooking, it’s materials science. Give it a little more credit.