The Devil of All Meat Substitutes

Seitan, pronounced fairly exactly like Lucifer's trade name, is a wheat protein that was developed centuries ago ( like, 13!) by Buddhists. It permeated the Buddist cultures of eastern Asia and eventually the cuisines of they and their neighbors.
The proteins are extracted from the wheat grains along with the starches via water and then kneaded to combine and strenghten the protien bonds until a tight structure is produced. Think of over kneaded dough. Synonymously called glutens, wheat protien is a hot topic in food right now, as many people are considering avoiding gluten foods, to avoid wheat allergies or gluten sensitivity. For the1% of us who have celiac disease, a gluten auto-immune response that flattens the lining of the small intestine and thus interferes with digestion and growth, a gluten free diet is the only option for health maintenence.
For anyone who does enjoy bread though, seitan is wonderful to cook with as it has a pockety texture that readily takes up flavors and has a mouth feel that is quite gratifying even to those not initiated to tofu and its ilk. It carmelizes over high heat and thus lends itself well to savory, umami rich presentation. A satay seemld like a logical presentation. And, who doesn't like food on a stick ?