Seitan or “wheat-meat”: what is it and why is it so popular in vegan cooking?
Seitan is a kind of vegan meat-substitute that is made using the gluten from flour. It can actually be pretty similar to bread dough, but with a different kneading process. With most kinds of bread you want to avoid over-kneading so the bread stays fluffy and doesn’t get overly stringy, dense, or chewy, but with seitan the point is to knead and work the dough to that chewy and dense texture that resembles meat. Seitan can be made with whole wheat flour or vital wheat gluten. Either way, the processes involves removing the starch (by rinsing or other processing) to leave only the high-protein gluten behind to produce a shreddable texture. The result is a mildly savoury-tasting product that is surprisingly close to meat in look and consistency, and it can then be used as a meat substitute to make dishes that resemble pulled pork, fried chicken, wings, or even steak.


I first learned about seitan on TikTok and was intrigued by this mysterious “wheat-meat”. It can be made with as few ingredients as flour and water, but many people also add chickpeas for extra protein, spices, tofu, miso, and other plant-based additions to enhance flavour and texture.


https://www.tiktok.com/@himynameispriya/video/6987723530880191746

https://www.tiktok.com/@desperatelyseekingseitan/video/6934433575337004293


How does Seitan compare to meat and other meat-substitutes nutritionally?


Seitan versus tofu: Nutrition Facts.

Seitan:calories: 90

fat: 1g

protein: 18g

carbs: 3g

iron: 1.2mg, 6% RDA

Selenium: 10 mcg, 14% RDA

Phosphorus: 65mg, 5%RDA


Tofu:calories: 98

fat: 5g

protein: 10g

carbs: 3g

iron: 1.6mg, 9% RDA

Selenium: 13 mcg, 19% RDA

Phosphorus: 136 mg, 14%RDA

Manganese: .8mg, 38% RDA

Calcium: 175mg, 18%

(Nutrition facts from https://healthyhappylife.com/tofu-versus-seitan-taste-texture-and/)

The two are pretty close in calories, but seitan has lower fat and high protein than tofu. In terms of texture, tofu is lighter and fluffier and more useful as an egg substitute, while seitan is denser, chewier, and closer to chicken or pork. According to a bit of internet searching (and personal experience) seitan is more likely to be mistaken for real meat and to be liked by meat-eaters as an alternative.

What about how it stacks up next to real meat? According to https://vegfaqs.com/seitan-vs-chicken/:

  • Chicken (breast) typically has a bit higher protein content than seitan, but not as much of a difference as I expected.
  • Chicken is a complete protein, but seitan is low in lysine (however it is easy to add ingredient that are hi in lysine such as chickpeas or nutritional yeast).
  • Neither are particularly good for getting vitamins or minerals.

I haven’t tried making seitan yet but I am intrigued to give it a go!