Seitan...a weird experience

[Dancer]

Did anyone ever experience this? I made a stir fry last evening using assorted vegies and seitan strips. When I began eating the meal, I became quite nauseated as it looked so much like chicken and TASTED so much like chicken. Ironic, yes? Here was a product that was vegan, very healthy, and was trying hard to look like chicken strips......and succeed too well.

This probably reflects more about my own state of mind than anything else. I have heard of some vegans that can't eat soy burgers because some brands capture the texture of real meat so well that it "feels" too much like meat.

Am I becoming weird?....lol.....I swear, I thought i was going to gag over the seitan strips and I threw the entire thing out, along with what was in the pan. That was wasteful, and I felt badly about that as well.

The big clue here is that PETA'S literature regarding the horrific chicken industry is what initially made me into a veg, (and soon after a vegan). Maybe this is why it is so utterly gross to me.

Dancer:confused:

[VOW]

I've read of Vegans who refuse to eat Seitan because it is too much like meat.

Was it store-bought Seitan, or something you made? Perhaps if you made your own, you would feel more comfortable eating it.



~VOW

[mum2sarah]

I completely understand!!! I never eat seitan, but this has happened to me with other meat substitutes, such as soysage or tofurky's stuffing. For me, if it's too close to meat taste, it's too close for comfort! Maybe that's also because I'm pregnant, but it think it's just a turn-off if the meat flavor is too convincing. I've had nightmares sometimes that I was eating meat after eating a meat substitute that tasted too close to the real thing.

[EricP]

That makes 3 so far...

I agree with all of you vegan foods that look, taste and smell like meat are kind of gross.

I guess to some, that's the only way that meat-eaters feel they can eat vegan foods... to others, it's almost as bad as eating meat!

For me, meat is gross. The smell, the look, the taste, it's all gross. When I ate meat, I felt that it was the only thing I could eat (obviously nobody pointed out that it wasn't :( ) and I still thought it was gross, so why eat something that resembles it so closely now?

But hey, it's vegan, no harm done... I have nothing against eating the stuff, or having other people eat it too. :D

Regards,

EricP

[annie7]

Remember my post about a week or so ago when I made too much seitan? I remarked to my husband while I sliced it that it made me a bit queazy because of the texture, color, etc... He came around the kitchen corner, took one look and said, "Geez! You weren't kidding. I wouldn't eat that if I didn't know that you just made it!"

[Dancer]

all of you, for making me feel sane about this. I think the lesson for me is that I can't handle my food simulating a meat eating experience in texture, taste or shape. (the "strips" were so vivid in color and shape). I actually felt queasy today, and I kept remembering the feeling of the seitan (store bought) in my mouth. Thank goodness for all of my vegan pals, here....who else would understand this?

I would NEVER discourage anyone from eating seitan or any other vegan protein.....I am happy to know that people are making non-meat choices. Rather, I am simply discovering what works for me and what doesn't.

My son and I carry the chickens and hens around at the animal sanctuary....they actually love to sit in the crook of my arm and "tour" the farm as I chat with people. I am certain that this is also contributing to my feeling nauseated by the entire meal last night.

Peace to you,

Dancer

[sophie]

Hi Dancer!
I do enjoy seitan and the odd meat analogue, but only in moderation, sometimes it makes me feel queasy too. There is an "all you can eat" buffet restaurant I have been too which makes "miengan" (another name for seitan, I think) in several different forms. I can only ever eat a little of it, while others are piling their plates high. After a small helping I start to feel sick, and I think my brain has a problem with the fact that it is so meat-like.

[Kelly]

I once had to throw out a frozen dinner I bought because the fake chicken strips were so greasy and chewy that it felt like eating real chicken. Ugh. I almost threw up. I have even more of a problem with soy yogurt, and soy yogurt drinks. I just cannot get past the consistency, even though I know what it is actually made of.


Kelly

[alexis]

I've never eaten seitan before probably because they just aren't very available here...but the vegetarian food stall at the hawker centre makes things easy for me...they make the fake luncheon meat and it tastes strangely like mozzarella cheese...weird... anyway their sweet and sour thing is very crispy so i don't know if there something too meat-like in there...anyway if it looks too close to the real thing i won't touch it...too many bad and sick experiences with meat...i can't even look at the KFC sign without feeling nauseous......

[annie7]

That's a whole forum of discussion on it's own!

[Dancer]

(and all of you who have so kindly responded)....I was struck by your soy yogurt comment as it used to be a staple for snacking during my teaching day. But lately, it has been feeling weird too, as though I was eating dairy, even though knowing I was not.

I think manufacturers would flip their lids if they could see this thread! They spend untold sums to produce meat/dairy facsimilies, even more to advertise. And here we are saying the entire shabang nauseates us!

Peace,

Dancer;)

[alexis]

Oh well...at least they are trying...frankly, i don't really see why soy yogurt can taste like dairy yogurt? I mean there's this distinct soy-ish taste in it....maybe it's because i make my own yogurt....hmmmmmm

[sarahrose]

I too can not eat "substitutes". But, the taste and smell of meat has always made me feel like gagging, so why would I want to eat anything that was similar ? But, it is GREAT for "new" people who need to make the transition. I am very grateful that stuff is out there for people like my husband, and many more like him who are new to this.

[beebop121]

I had some seitan a week ago, and I started feeling weird afterwards too. I was thinking that maybe its the high amount of wheat gluten that causes the weird feeling. I haven't had any problem with wheat in the past but its possible that seitan has just too much gluten. Thoughts?