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Seitan

Chewy protein made from washed wheat gluten.

Seitan — illustrative ingredient image

About Seitan

Seitan is a chewy food made from washed wheat gluten, the elastic protein portion of wheat flour. It is used as a meat substitute in stir-fries, stews, sandwiches, skewers, curries, and other savoury dishes. Plain seitan is mild, allowing it to take on the flavour of a broth, marinade, sauce, or spice mixture.

Its characteristic texture is firm, elastic, and chewy, though the bite can range from tender to dense according to hydration, kneading, shaping, and cooking. Plain seitan may taste mildly wheaty, while seasoned versions can be savoury, smoky, spicy, or fermented. Slicing and cooking method also affect how readily it absorbs sauce and how fibrous it feels.

Seitan is sold as a loaf, cutlet, strip, chunk, mince, or other shaped piece, fresh, chilled, frozen, or packaged. It may be simmered, steamed, baked, grilled, or fried. These methods change its moisture, firmness, surface browning, and crust, while slicing or shredding creates different forms for sandwiches, stir-fries, and stews.

Ingredient type
derived ingredient

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Where seitan appears

0 linked foods

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Food connections are still being added.

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Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for seitan

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

seitan

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Seitan nutrition & diet

Seitan nutritional value

Reference: Seitan, packaged

Per 100 g of the edible portion of the explicitly named reference food.

Calories
134kcal
Protein
20.6g
Carbs
6.7g
Fat
2.5g

Per 100 g edible portion. ANSES Ciqual 2025; energy and protein follow EU Regulation 1169/2011 (protein = nitrogen × 6.25); carbohydrate excludes fibre. Values describe this food form, not every brand or recipe. Reused under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0: https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/licence-ouverte-open-licence/.

Portions & preparation

Use the prepared seitan portion as sold or cooked, and distinguish plain wheat-gluten dough from products containing legumes, oils, sauces, or seasonings. Cooking method and retained sauce affect the served food. Record breading, marinades, and accompanying ingredients separately rather than treating every seitan product as identical.

Compare the right form: Match plain or prepared seitan by exact brand or recipe, wheat-gluten product form, cooking method, added ingredients, and edible portion.

Diet considerations

Seitan is plant-derived but is made from wheat gluten, so its compatibility depends on the individual’s dietary rules and the full product label. Recipes may add soy, legumes, oils, sugar, cereals, or animal ingredients. Breaded, sauced, or packaged forms can differ from plain seitan in carbohydrate patterns.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: ANSES Ciqual 2025 — Seitan, préemballé ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .