Seitan

By: KD Angle-Traegner

Published: July 2015
Last Update: September 2022

Reading Time: 7 minutes

A fan-favorite plant protein

Seitan (pronounced SAY-TAN) has fans all over. Vegans love its chewy, toothy texture and ability to mimic almost any animal-based meat. We also love that it's packed with plant protein.

If you're unfamiliar with cooking using seitan, you're in the right place.

First, I'll cover the basics and answer a few frequently asked questions. Then it's time to go shopping. There's a brand guide to help point you in the right direction once you get to the store.

Next, you'll find cooking basics along with vegan seitan recipes to try. Finally, I've included a few video tutorials.

Let's dig in.

Prepared seitan / Source

Basics / Shopping / Recipes / Video Tutorials

If you're new to seitan, start here.

Seitan originated in China and Japan more than 1,000 years ago.

Traditionally prepared by Zen Buddhists, it was used as a substitute for meat or fish. It comes from the Japanese words “sei,” meaning “to be, become, made of,” and “tan,” as in tanpaku, which means “proteins.”

Freely translated, it means: “made of proteins."

Seitan is the protein part of the wheat flour, also known as gluten or wheat gluten.

It comes from washing wheat flour dough with water to remove all the starch granules, leaving a sticky, insoluble gluten mass. The spices and flavorings come next, then cooked.

Trust me; it tastes much better than it sounds.

By itself, seitan has little to no flavor at all.

It absorbs flavorings extraordinarily well and has a toothsome, chewy texture similar to animal meat. This toothy texture makes it an excellent choice for people looking for alternatives to the familiar foods of their pre-vegan days.

Grocery carts at the market / Source

Basics / Shopping / Recipes / Video Tutorials

Here’s what you need to know before you head to the store.

Since seitan comes in infinite products, you'll find it all over grocery stores.

Generally speaking, you'll look in refrigerated sections near or around the produce section for the premade unseasoned seitan. If you decide to try making seitan yourself, the baking aisle is where you'll probably find wheat gluten.

As an ingredient, seitan-based plant meats come both fresh and frozen.

And don't forget, your local Asian market will likely carry various options.

• Blackbird Foods
• Franklin Farms
• Love Seitan (UK)
• Sweet Earth Natural Foods
• Upton’s Naturals

Basics / Shopping / Recipes / Video Tutorials

Ready for cooking inspiration? These recipes will surely satisfy you.

Before the recipes, let's get the answers to the most commonly asked questions about seitan.

Basics / Shopping / Recipes / Video Tutorials

Because sometimes it’s easier to watch a video.

Unfortunately, I could never link to all the creative videos or tutorials on this topic. I chose these because I’ve tried each, resulting in awesome-tasting food.