Mock duck

This article is about the food resembling duck meat. For the New York gang leader, see Mock Duck. For the object resembling a duck used in hunting, see Duck decoy (model).
Mock duck
Canned fried wheat gluten ("vegetarian mock duck")
Traditional Chinese燜齋鴨
Simplified Chinese焖斋鸭
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinmènzhāiyā)

Mock duck is a gluten-based meat substitute. It is made of wheat gluten, oil, sugar, soy sauce, and salt,[1] and is high in protein. Its distinctive flavor and artificial "plucked duck" texture distinguish it from other forms of commercially available gluten products.

Mock duck along with other wheat gluten meat substitutes has origins in the Chinese Buddhist cuisine, dating back to the Middle Ages.[2] Mock duck can be found in some Chinese grocery stores or retail outlets providing international selections of food. It is most often sold canned.[3][4] Similar products may be labeled as "Mock Abalone" or "Cha'i Pow Yu" (齋鮑魚; pinyin: zhāibàoyú).

Typically, mock duck gains its flavor from the stewing of the gluten product in soy sauce and MSG.[5]

A variation of mock duck made from tofu skin is also popular, and is known as tofu duck.[6]

  1. ^ Lee, Calvin B. T.; Lee, Audrey Evans (2010). The Gourmet Regional Chinese Cookbook. Menlo Park, CA: Askmar Publishing. pp. unknown, recipe "Mock Duck with Snow Peas". ISBN 978-1-935842-11-8.
  2. ^ Lott-Lavigna, Ruby (2019-02-05). "The Origins of Fake Meat Are Rooted in Chinese Cooking". Vice. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  3. ^ "WU CHUNG Vegetarian Mock Duck 280g". New Gum Sarn. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  4. ^ Scott Russell (August 26, 2002). "The unusual world of Asian groceries". Southwest Journal. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  5. ^ "Mock Duck". CooksInfo.com. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  6. ^ "What is Tofu Skin". beanprocess.com. 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2021-09-08. The effect is completed by frying the "skin" side of the tofu chicken until it is crispy. If stuffed with vegetables, it becomes tofu duck.