Have you heard of seitan? This popular meat alternative is trending on social media, but it’s not a new thing. It’s been around for centuries and it’s time to see what it actually is.
While it may look like chicken, seitan is actually made of flour and water. We were very confused the first time we saw it on TikTok. It was published by user @FutureLettuce in a video where he called it a “2-ingredient chicken replacement” and it immediately went viral. Vegans out there probably know about it already. The dish can be traced back to the 6th-century China, so it’s not a new invention.
“I think the video got attention because most people weren’t expecting the end result. Watching someone squeeze a dough ball for a minute is not the most appealing thing, but seeing it shred like chicken is in direct contrast, at least for most viewers,” the video creator told Today Food recently.
Seitan can be used just like any piece of chicken, except that it offers different nutritional benefits. You can eat it with pasta, tacos, casseroles, with veggies on the side, etc. It’s very easy to transform its flavor with different spices and condiments, which makes it versatile.
