On Food and Cooking

the rest of the flour: you simply make a
dough, then knead it in water. The starch and
water-soluble substances wash away, and
tough, chewy gluten remains. Gluten as a
unique food ingredient was discovered by
Chinese noodle makers around the 6th
century, and by the 11th was known as mien
chin, or the “muscle of flour.” (The Japanese
call it seitan.) When cooked, concentrated
gluten does develop a chewy, slippery texture
like that of meats from animal muscle. Mien
chin became a major ingredient in the
vegetarian cooking that developed in Buddhist
monasteries; there are recipes dating from the
11th century for imitation venison and jerky,
and for fermented gluten. Because gluten
contains a high proportion of glutamic acid,
fermentation breaks it down into a condiment
that was an early version of savory-tasting
MSG (p. 342). One of the simplest ways to
prepare gluten is to pinch off small bits and
deep-fry them; they puff up into light chewy