Seitan Worship

What is seitan?

The name is a little daunting (it’s pronounced say-tahn), but this is actually a very simple product and can be a great addition to the vegetarian diet.

Sometimes called ‘wheat meat’, seitan is made from wheat gluten, the protein part of wheat. It can be flavored in a number of ways, and its chewy texture is one of the closest matches to meat that you will find anywhere.

“Mmm, sounds good to me. So where do I find it?”

Some Chinese or Thai restaurants will offer dishes with seitan, usually calling it something like “mock duck”, “mock pork” or “mock chicken.” In addition, you can often find cans of ‘mock’ meat at Asian markets. Some of these contain a bit more oil, so you should watch the fat content.

White Wave makes a couple different flavors of seitan as well. These are easy to find in health food stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, and might even be available in your local grocery store.

Another option is to make your own seitan.

The traditional method of making seitan involves making a simple dough of water and flour, then kneading and rinsing the dough under running water to rinse out the wheat starch. In order to remove all of the starch, you would have to knead the dough for about 30 minutes. An easier method is to start with high gluten flour, or vital wheat gluten. This allows you to skip the kneading and rinsing step altogether.

It may take a few tries to achieve the desired texture and consistency of your homemade seitan. Some people prefer a lighter, softer texture, while others prefer a tough, chewy seitan. Also, during cooking you can add whatever flavors you want to the seitan, making it very versatile.