Seitan

Seitan is a food made from wheat gluten, the main protein of wheat. When wheat flour dough is washed in water, the starch rinses away and leaves an elastic mass of gluten, which can be seasoned and cooked. Seitan’s dense, chewy texture resembles meat more closely than many other plant proteins, and it is widely used in vegan and vegetarian cooking as a base for roasts, deli slices, sausages and stir-fries.

History

Wheat gluten has been eaten in China for many centuries, where it is known as miàn jīn (面筋, roughly “flour tendon” or “dough sinew”). It became an important ingredient in the vegetarian cuisine of Chinese Buddhist monasteries, whose monks abstained from meat, and it was used to create imitation meat dishes. The tradition of Buddhist “mock meats” made from gluten, tofu and other ingredients continues in vegetarian restaurants across East and Southeast Asia.

Wheat gluten also has a long history in Japan, where it is called fu. Fresh (nama-fu) and dried (yaki-fu) forms are used in temple cuisine (shōjin ryōri), soups and sweets.

The name seitan is of Japanese origin and is generally associated with the macrobiotic movement of the mid-20th century, which introduced the term to Western audiences. It became widely used in Europe and North America from the 1960s and 1970s onward, through natural foods shops and vegetarian cookbooks.

Production

There are two main ways to make seitan.

Traditional washing method

1. A stiff dough is made from wheat flour (usually high-protein bread flour) and water.
2. The dough is rested, then kneaded repeatedly under water, which is changed as it turns milky with starch.
3. When the water runs nearly clear, a stretchy mass of gluten remains.
4. The gluten is seasoned and cooked.

The rinse water contains wheat starch, which some cooks reserve for other uses.

Vital wheat gluten method

Most home cooks and many manufacturers today use vital wheat gluten, a powder of concentrated gluten produced industrially. It is mixed with liquid (often stock) and seasonings, kneaded briefly and then cooked. Ingredients such as chickpea flour, beans, tofu or nutritional yeast (see nutritional yeast) are often added to adjust texture and flavour.

Cooking

Raw gluten must be cooked before eating. Common methods include:

• Simmering in a seasoned broth, often with soy sauce, ginger and kombu.
• Steaming wrapped in foil or cloth, which tends to give a firmer, less spongy result.
• Baking, often used for roasts and loaves.

Over-boiling at high heat can make seitan spongy, so gentle simmering is usually recommended.

Culinary uses

Once cooked, seitan can be sliced, cubed, shredded or ground and used much as meat would be. Typical uses include:

• Stir-fries, kebabs and stews
• Holiday roasts and stuffed loaves (see vegan holidays and celebrations)
• Plant-based sausages, burgers and deli slices
• Breaded and fried cutlets
• Chinese kao fu, a spongy fermented gluten braised in sweet soy sauce

Many commercial plant-based meat products use wheat gluten as a key ingredient for structure and chewiness.

Nutrition

Seitan is notably high in protein. Vital wheat gluten is typically around 75% protein by dry weight, and prepared seitan commonly contains roughly 20–25 g of protein per 100 g, though values depend on the recipe. It is low in fat and carbohydrate in its plain form.

Wheat protein is relatively low in the amino acid lysine. This is not a concern for people eating a varied diet, as legumes such as beans, lentils, tofu and tempeh are good sources of lysine; some recipes combine gluten with chickpea flour or soy for this reason. Commercial seitan can be high in sodium depending on the seasonings used.

Dietary considerations

Seitan is not suitable for people with coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity or wheat allergy, since it is made almost entirely of gluten. Those who avoid gluten can use alternatives such as tofu, tempeh, legumes or soy- and pea-based products.

See also

• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Protein
• Meal planning
• Vegan Holidays and Celebrations