Name Variations[]
- fu
- kofu
- wheat meat
About Seitan[]
Wikipedia Article About Seitan on Wikipedia
Wheat gluten, also called seitan (pronounced SAY-than), wheat meat, wheat-meat, wheatmeat, gluten meat, or simply gluten) is a foodstuff made from wheat gluten. It is made by washing dough made from wheat flour in water until the starch is rinsed away, leaving only the gluten, which can then be cooked and processed in various ways.
Wheat gluten, although not as well known, is an alternative to soy-based meat substitutes such as tofu; some types may taste even more like meat than tofu due to their chewy and/or stringy texture. It is often used in place of meat in Asian, vegetarian, Buddhist, and macrobiotic cuisines.
Wheat gluten is most popular in China, where it was first developed, as well as in the cuisines of other East and Southeast Asian nations. In Asia, it is commonly found on the menus of restaurants catering primarily to Buddhist customers who do not eat meat, but who nonetheless enjoy eating meatless versions of meat dishes.