Translation guide
Wheat gluten is a protein-rich food made from wheat flour. In Japanese cuisine, it appears in two main forms: fresh, soft gluten (nama-fu) and dried, shelf-stable gluten (yaki-fu or fu). The word 'fu' broadly covers both, but learners should distinguish between the fresh, cake-like type and the dry, bread-like croutons used in soups.
The broadest term for wheat gluten as a food ingredient, covering both fresh and dried forms.
The standard Japanese word for wheat gluten, encompassing all types. Often used in compound words like 生麩 (nama-fu, fresh gluten) and 焼き麩 (yaki-fu, dried gluten).
麩は精進料理によく使われます。
Wheat gluten is often used in Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.
Loanword from English, primarily used in nutritional or scientific contexts to refer to the protein itself, not the food product. Less common in everyday cooking.
Wheat gluten gives bread its elasticity.
The soft, cake-like form of wheat gluten, often steamed and used in soups or as a sweet.
Fresh wheat gluten with a soft, mochi-like texture. It is often steamed, sometimes flavored with mugwort (yomogi) or sesame, and used in clear soups or simmered dishes.
Fresh wheat gluten is delicious when added to clear soup.
The dried, often toasted form of wheat gluten, used like croutons in soups and hot pots.
Dried wheat gluten that is toasted or baked. It comes in various shapes (rings, flowers, etc.) and is rehydrated in soups, especially miso soup and sukiyaki.
Dried wheat gluten is a popular ingredient for miso soup.
In everyday contexts, 'fu' alone often refers to the dried form, as it is the most commonly encountered type in supermarkets.
The chewy, protein-rich product made from wheat gluten, often used in vegetarian and vegan cooking as a meat alternative.
Loanword from English 'seitan', widely recognized in health-food and vegetarian contexts. It refers specifically to the meat-like product, not traditional Japanese fu.
Seitan is used as a meat substitute for vegetarians.
Literal translation of 'gluten meat', sometimes used in recipes but less common than 'seitan'.
In English, 'gluten' often refers to the protein that causes issues for people with celiac disease. In Japanese, that is グルテン (guruten) or 小麦グルテン (komugi guruten). The food product is 麩 (fu). Using グルテン to mean the food may cause confusion.
生麩 (nama-fu) is fresh, soft, and perishable. 焼き麩 (yaki-fu) is dried, hard, and shelf-stable. If you see 麩 in a recipe without specification, it usually means 焼き麩.
Please store fresh wheat gluten in the refrigerator.
Dried wheat gluten can be stored at room temperature.
This dried wheat gluten can be used in simmered dishes.
Gluten meat is high in protein and low in fat.