What Is Seitan (Wheat Gluten), and How to Eat It the Healthy Way

Where Seitan Comes From

Seitan (面筋 in Chinese) is made by kneading flour with water and washing away the starch, leaving behind a mass of glutenin and gliadin — the wheat proteins that make up gluten. It's remarkably high in protein, at 20 to 25 grams per 100 grams cooked, with a chewy, meat-like texture. Often turned into mock meats or "kaofu" (braised wheat gluten), it's a traditional staple with a long history in Chinese vegetarian cooking.

Nutritional Profile

Seitan is high in protein, but low in lysine, making it an incomplete protein — it's best paired with legumes or grains to make up for that gap. Its iron and zinc content lags behind that of legumes, and its fat content is generally low. It's not well suited to being your only protein source: relying on seitan alone over the long term, without pairing it with legumes, can lead to an imbalanced amino acid intake.

Who Should Be Careful

People with gluten intolerance or celiac disease should avoid seitan and other gluten-based foods, substituting quinoa, tofu, or similar alternatives instead. When buying pre-packaged mock meats, check the sodium content — many processed products run high in sodium for flavor, so people with high blood pressure should limit how often they eat them. Making kaofu at home gives you more control over salt and oil.

Common Home-Style Preparations

• Braised kaofu: stewed together with shiitake mushrooms and wood ear fungus, a classic cold vegetarian dish from the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region
• Spicy mock meat: seitan cubes stir-fried and seasoned with chili, hearty and great over rice
• Five-spice braised seitan: simmered in a spiced braising liquid until well infused with flavor, keeps well refrigerated as a make-ahead dish