seitan

This is a word that was coined in the 1960s by the Japanese founder of the macrobiotic diet, Nyoichi (or Nyoiti) Sakurazawa, known in the West as George (or Georges) Ohsawa (1893–1966).  The elements are sei meaning ‘raw or unprocessed’ and tan the first part of  tanpaku meaning ‘protein’.  It is wheat dough which has been rinsed many times to remove the bran and starch from it.  After that it can be flavoured with spices and sauces, pan-fried or boiled, and served as a meat substitute.  It has more protein in it than an equivalent serve of lamb or beef and has a meaty texture and taste.

Recently there has been another surge of enthusiasm for it as a viable and tasty way of reducing our reliance on meat and helping to save the planet.