Wheat gluten is a food product made almost entirely from the gluten protein of wheat, produced traditionally by washing wheat flour dough in water until the starch rinses away and only the elastic protein mass remains, which is then cooked; industrially it is also sold as a powder that can be rehydrated. On its own it is largely flavorless but readily absorbs marinades and broths, which is why it is cooked into seitan, a meat substitute with a notably chewy, meat-like texture compared with other plant proteins such as tofu. The ingredient traces back to sixth-century China, where Buddhist vegetarian cooking developed it into noodle-like dishes, and it later spread into Japanese and Vietnamese cuisines before reaching Western health-food markets in the late 1960s.
Facts
Classification
AllergenCereals Containing Gluten 1 Connections
Sources
1. Wheat Gluten (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_(food)Quote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_(food)
Gluten-added dough must be worked vigorously to induce it to rise to its full capacity; an automatic bread machine or food processor may be required for high-gluten kneading. Generally, higher gluten levels are associated with higher overall protein content. Gluten, especially wheat gluten (seitan), is often the basis for imitation meats resembling beef, chicken, duck (see mock duck), fish and pork.
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