In Japanese cuisine, seitan is widely used, usually in combination with algae, soy sauce and vegetables, such as green peppers and mushrooms, and is called kofu . It was introduced in ancient times by Buddhist monks.
Here is some more information on the nutritional values of the seitan and where to find it.
The nutritional values of seitan
Seitan is a food widely used in diets without animal proteins, such as vegan and vegetarian.
It is a derivative of wheat, highly proteic, free of cholesterol and saturated fats.
However, it is not suitable in the diet of celiacs and is poor in vitamin B12, iron and essential amino acids.
Composed of over half of water, seitan is therefore very rich in vegetable proteins and contains a small percentage of carbohydrates.
It lends itself, for its consistency to be cooked as a dish in main courses, such as steaks, stews and fillets of "wheat meat"; it can also be minced and used as a filling for vegetables, or as a base for making ragù. 100 grams of fresh seitan provide just under 170Kcal.
Seitan: where to find it
The seitan can be found ready in the fridge counter of many supermarkets, but if you are looking for powder to let you orient yourself towards the organic shops.
Seitan can be found in three main ways: you can buy it ready-made, natural or flavored with herbs or other, vacuum-packed and sold in the refrigerated counter of organic shops or supermarkets. In this case a 100-150 gram pack costs about 3 euros.
Alternatively it can also be found in the form of flour-powder, buying it from organic stores or specialized natural chains, which, mixed with the right amount of water, form a soft, elastic and compact dough, ready to cook in just a few seconds. boiling for a few minutes together with various ingredients that give it flavor, to then have the meat of seitan available for three or four days, ready to be cooked as you prefer: in this case, a pack of 500 gr will cost about 5 euros.
Finally the seitan can be self-produced from scratch, using simple flour, water and salt, even if the recipe to prepare it at home is a bit long and cumbersome.
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