Are You Sure This Isn’t Chicken? The Temptation of Seitan
General Tso's Seitan- Springs Rolls Restaurant, Raleigh NC
The first time I had Seitan (SAY-tan) was in Palm Springs California at Native Foods. Native Foods is a completely vegan restaurant and its owner Chef Tanya Petronva came out to our table and explained to me as a vegan newbie, what Seitan is. It is wheat gluten created by mixing protein packed (1 serving has approx 30g of a typical 90g daily recommendation) and starch free wheat gluten with seasonings and water, then kneading it into a roll and slicing it to serve as a textured meat like substitute. Yes, it does have a kind of funny name. In fact in her cookbook, Chef Tanya describes passing out samples at a farmers market. A woman spit the food out when informed it was Seitan. She said, “No, thank you. I believe in Jesus Christ!”
I don’t think Seitan is evil at all, but it is curious how it can become such a dietary chameleon. The texture is so “meaty” and deceptive, that with the right seasonings it easily becomes a chicken finger masterpiece (pic), teriyaki (pic), or a Native Foods burger (pic).
It wasn’t Seitan that recently lured me into Spring Rolls at North Hills in Raleigh; I was in search of their namesake. Hoping to check off as “found,” yet another of my pre vegan favorites, I was looking for a good but elusive vegan style spring roll. The menu noted, “Vegetarian meat substitutes are made from soybeans, wheat gluten, and other non-animal sources. Originally made as a special cuisine in Buddhist monasteries it’s now available at Spring Rolls.” Interesting! It always excites me when I see restaurants and products volunteer a vegan option. It got even better when the waitress informed me that any of the meals on the menu could be switched with my choice of soy protein, tofu or wheat gluten (Seitan). That’s a major vegan score. Obviously this still has limitations. A dish with egg noodles isn’t vegan just because you switch tofu for the shrimp. But, I got very excited to know that I could revisit my General Tso’s love affair by including Seitan.
Spring Rolls Restaurant- Raleigh NC
I’d almost forgotten in my excitement of that discovery to enjoy my spring rolls- what I came there for. They were excellent. Simple but delectable vegan rolls stuffed with fresh cabbage and carrots and accompanied by a perfect dipping sauce. The picture above does them justice. They were as good as they look.
When the General Tso’s arrived I was taken aback and actually refused to taste it. This really looked like chicken. I just knew they made a mistake on the order. It looked tender, and I was able to pull what looked like layers of skin from the main body of the pieces. That alone was disturbing. When I cut into it, it looked in texture like a slice of chicken. “Waitress!?” She tried to assure me but I still wasn’t convinced. I asked Rochelle, who is working towards but not yet a vegan, to taste it for me. She said it tasted great but that it was clear to her that it wasn’t chicken. When I tasted it I still wasn’t giving up. It was delicious, but this had to be chicken!
General Tso's Seitan- Texture
Rochelle reminded me that my taste buds have probably almost forgotten what real chicken tastes like at this point, and what I was experiencing was more likely emotional guilt. True. I was a bit weirded out by this near perfect mock chicken. It was the closest I had been as a vegan to the visual presentation of real meat on my plate. Usually the taste and texture of a meat substitute is enough to provide the chew action I crave on occasion and this keeps me happy. The fact that my Gardein quick meals or tofu don’t really look like chicken is somewhat of a soother for my consciousness.
I am still a newbie vegan and I am just beginning to struggle with the idea of coveting meat substitutes. Point blank, on the one hand it seems that I still desire a dead animal that I’ve ethically chosen to protect by not consuming it. Yet, on the other hand it seems more relevant to eventually imagine the dish not as tasting like chicken at all, but being delish and perhaps “devilishly good” General Tso’s Seitan. Perhaps if more people can make this leap we won’t really need the poultry, pork, or beef industry. Tofu would be tofu. Soy Protein would be soy protein. The idea being that they are stand-alone well seasoned delicious meals instead of focusing on the idea of them as meat substitutes. So bring on the Seitan!
Recipe for Making Seitan at Home(link), or pick up WestSoy Brand at your grocery store.
Recipe for General Tso’s Sauce (link)
Twitter and Facebook
