| Today the primary use of wheat gluten is in the | | | | In Japan wheat gluten comes in two forms. You |
| food industry. It has gained popularity throughout | | | | have raw solid gluten and dry baked gluten. The |
| the world and is now accepted as a meat | | | | raw gluten is mixed with rice flour and millet and |
| substitute. There are many different uses of | | | | then steamed in blocks. In this form it can be |
| gluten. Here we will discuss the uses of gluten in | | | | shaped and colored to make it more appealing. |
| non-food industries as well. | | | | The baked gluten is shaped into long bread like |
| First lets discuss the use of wheat gluten as a | | | | sticks and sold in cut form similar to croutons or |
| meat substitute. Asian cuisine uses plenty of | | | | bread crusts. |
| gluten. It is called mian jin in China and comes in | | | | Gluten is also commonly uses as a thickener in |
| three forms. Oil fried gluten is a form torn into | | | | items like ice cream and ketchup. It is also used |
| small bits, deep fried into small puffy balls and sold | | | | as food additives in products manufacturers like |
| as imitation abalone. These are golden brown and | | | | Morningstar Farms, LightLife and Tofurkey. |
| braised or boiled in soup before eating. | | | | The other common uses of gluten have to do |
| Steamed gluten is wrapped to form a long | | | | with its unique properties. Mainly its ability to be |
| sausage shape and then steamed. It has a dense | | | | elastic, bind water and form films that can be |
| texture and can be off white to light green in | | | | stabilized with heat. These properties make it ideal |
| color. You tear it open into strips before using as | | | | when making adhesives, coatings, polymers and |
| an ingredient for recipes. | | | | resins. Although there is always research being |
| The baked spongy gluten is a leavened raw gluten | | | | done for alternatives gluten is one item that is |
| baked or steamed. sold as small blocks in the | | | | abundant, cheap, environmentally friendly, bio |
| Chinese market. These are diced up and cooked. | | | | degradable and renewable. |
| Given its name because of its ability to absorb its | | | | There are many different uses for gluten today. |
| cooking liquid like a sponge and is known for its | | | | It is one ingredient that is hard to replace with an |
| juicy taste. | | | | alternative that is as cheap or as abundant. |