Companion - Braised Gluten Seitan Tidbits, 10 oz. Can (Pack of 6)

Raised as a vegetarian, I became very familiar with soy and soy analog meat alternatives. Some are acceptable, some are good, some are freaks of nature, and some are downright hideous. These little tidbits are some of the best alternatives I have found over the past 50 years. These are not rubbery in texture which can be very offputting to some – – myself included. Seasonings/flavorings are absorbed very well. From the same manufacturer, one version gets billed as duck, another braised seitan. I'm here to tell you: any similarity to duck is purely coincidental. The taste is pleasant enough, but it's clearly not duck. A longtime friend of mine that was a missionary to Thailand had a stellar recipe for "shamburgers". She was very specific that soy products from the far east were "far better when you can get them. Otherwise one has to make do with domestic soy products". I will second that notion as well. Disclaimers and apologetics out of the way there are positives that outweigh the negatives. As mentioned earlier, it does accept flavorings well. BRAISING can be rewarding--provided that it is done slowly and pieces are weighted. STEWS/SOUPS: They stand up well when making sauerbraten, goulash or other stews requiring beef. CRUMBLED: Put them through a food processor to use as "crumbles". MARINATING: When marinated, these cannot go as long as recipes using beef or chicken. Times must be adjusted and the "how long" question is best learned through painful flops and failures! AS BROTH: Gently boiled in a beef broth using a mirepoix and other herbs can serve to intensify their flavor. It is also possible TO FREEZE these little gems in their cooking broth. Given the price point, these appear to be more expensive than domestic products but once out of the can the actual volume is larger than it might otherwise appear from the weight and size shown on the label. These little "coins" have been a staple in my pantry for the last 50 years. And if soy products render one given to passing methane gas into the atmosphere, get acquainted with Bean-O--also available on Amazon.

This made a good base for Buddha’s delight stir fry. Tastes good right out of the tin.

I'm not even vegetarian but I genuinely prefer eating this over meat sometimes. It's very convenient and has strong umami flavors. My favorite way to prepare it is stir fry with toast spices then put into dumplings

Really good taste and convenient container. The same I use to purchase 30+ years ago in Malaysia.

Rinse and then fry or bake, very tasty. It's kind of greasy just out of the can, but with a little cooking, super.

I received the product I ordered a little later than expected but that was okay. Was not expecting all the cans to be very dented. Doesn't look like the contents were compromised by the denting.

A very common and cheap item in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Pieces are smallish, but it is tasty. For the buck not enough bang

I have used this vege meat for 50 yrs. Why would I stop now. Great in stir fries