Why Meat Lovers Need To Know About Seitan

What Is Seitan?

You might have seen the word seitan floating about the food scene for a while now. But what exactly is this elusive, and strangely named ingredient?

Seitan, also known as wheat gluten, is the main protein from wheat. Now, I know that doesn’t sound delicious, but you have to trust me, it is!

If you’ve not heard of it before, seitan has become a mega-popular alternative to meat. It’s been a favourite among vegetarians and vegans for a while now as it has the ability to mimic the taste and texture of classic meat products from burgers to chicken strips.

However, it’s also gaining traction amongst meat-eaters around the world. Almost 90% of the people eating non-meat burgers are not vegetarian or vegan, which is proof of how realistic meat replacements are becoming. If you’re part of the 90% of meat-eaters eating meat-free burgers, then you’ve probably already eaten seitan before!

The reason that seitan has gained popularity is due to its versatility. Similarly to tofu, it can easily take on the texture and flavor of meat. You can either make it yourself from scratch, or you can purchase it ready-made from the supermarket. It doesn’t look awfully appealing before it has been transformed into something new, but after a little love and attention, seitan is incredible!

Sometimes meat replacements such as tofu and tempeh don’t have a firm enough bite to them to resemble the real thing, but that’s what makes seitan so appealing. It has a firm, chewy texture that you can slightly vary to your desire depending on how you cook it.