- Wheat gluten, called mianjin in Chinese is believed to have originated in ancient China, as a meat substitute for adherents of Buddhism, particularly some Mahayana Buddhist monks, who are strict vegetarians. One story attributes the invention of imitation meat to chefs who made it for Chinese emperors who, traditionally, observed a week of vegetarianism each year. mianjin is often deep fried before being cooked in Chinese cuisine, which confers a crispy rind that enhances the texture of the gluten. There are three primary Chinese forms of wheat gluten.
- Oily/oil-fried gluten
- Oil-fried gluten is raw gluten that has been torn into small bits, and then deep-fried into small puffy balls of around 3–5 cm in diameter and sold as “imitation abalone”. They are golden brown in color, and braised or boiled in a savory soup or stew before eating. Larger fried balls of gluten, c), which may be up to 13 cm (5 in) in diameter, are sometimes seen in Asian supermarkets. These are often stuffed with meat or tofu mixtures and served as a dish called “gluten meatballs” or “gluten stuffed with meat”.
- Steamed gluten
- Steamed gluten, is raw gluten that has been wrapped around itself to form a long sausage shape which is then steamed. This type of gluten has a dense texture and ranges from off-white to light greenish grey in color. It is torn open into strips before being used as an ingredient in recipes. When this sausage-shaped gluten is thickly sliced into medallions, the resulting form is called “gluten wheels”. Larger blocks of steamed gluten are sometimes colored pink and sold as vegetarian “mock ham.”
- Baked spongy gluten
- A Kaofu (Wheat Gluten) dish in a restaurant in Shanghai.
- Baked spongy gluten is similar in texture to a sponge, kao fu (sometimes labeled in English as “bran puff”) is made by leavening raw gluten, and then baking or steaming it. These are sold as small blocks in Chinese markets and are then diced up and cooked. This type of gluten absorbs its cooking liquid like a sponge and is enjoyed for its “juicy” character. Chinese kao fu has a different texture from its Japanese counterpart, yaki-fu, due to the relatively larger air bubbles it contains. Kao fu is available in fresh, frozen, dehydrated, and canned forms.
- mianjin is also available in Asian grocery stores in canned and jarred forms, often marinated in combination with peanuts or mushrooms. Such canned and jarred gluten is commonly eaten as an accompaniment to congee (boiled rice porridge) as part of a traditional Chinese breakfast.
- Freshly prepared mianjin can be difficult to find in Chinese restaurants other than those specializing in Buddhist or vegetarian cuisine. Depending on its method of preparation and ingredients used, both fresh and preserved mianjin can be used to simulate pork, poultry, beef, or even seafood.
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