seitan

[ sey-tan ]

noun

1. a chewy, neutral-flavored, protein-rich food made of wheat gluten, used as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of seitan¹

Coined by George Ohsawa, Japanese founder of macrobiotics (1893–1966) in 1961 and first recorded in English in 1965–1970; from Japanese; probably from sei- “raw, unprocessed” + tan(paku) “protein”

Example Sentences

A few weeks after his wife’s speech conjured images of the Vance family sitting down to a meal of tandoori seitan steaks, the senator seemed to position himself — and the Republican Party — as the choice of meat eaters while criticizing Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

From Los Angeles Times

Nobody found them anywhere near the “real” hot dogs, but rather in the freezer aisle, next to the tofu and seitan or relegated to a small “plant-based” section, depending on the store — suggesting there is yet to be a common retail vocabulary that will help shoppers know where to look.

From Salon

Meals will include turkey or vegetarian seitan, mashed potatoes, green beans, dressing, gravy, veggies and the choice of apple or pumpkin pie.

From Seattle Times

Seitan, a wheat gluten-based product, is also a good addition to vegan stuffings.

From Washington Times

Similarly, a hearty lasagna or chili can feature black beans, while lunchtime wraps might swap deli turkey for a soy product like seitan or baked extra firm tofu.

From National Geographic