The Origins of Fake Meat Are Rooted in Chinese Cooking

Seitan “chicken” burgers and vegan sausage rolls may seem like a recent phenomenon, but meat substitute dishes date back to Medieval China.

Share: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share using Native tools Share Copied to clipboard In a large, Chinese supermarket in Central London, packets of frozen mutton, crispy tiger prawns, and intestine line the freezer shelves. Head to the aisles, and you will find bright blue tins of duck, chicken, and abalone. Despite the names and convincing textures, not one of these products contains meat or fish. “Crispy tiger prawns” on sale at SeeWoo, a supermarket in London’s Chinatown. All photos by the author. A selection of fake

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• Catherine Zhang
• Joseph Laufer

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