AHC - Wheat Gluten (Meat Substitute) expands beyond East and Southeast Asia

The challenge is to increase the popularity of Wheat Gluten aka Seiten as a meat substitute, so it ends up spreading as far as the Indian subcontinent and even Europe (via West / Central Asia) prior to the later part of the Early Middle Ages at the earliest up to the European age of discovery at the very latest.

Also what impact (if any) would Wheat Gluten have outside of East / South East Asia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_(food)
 
A more outward-looking Chinese dynasty that's victorious against the Muslims spreads it along the Silk Road with Buddhism in tow, maybe?
 
A more outward-looking Chinese dynasty that's victorious against the Muslims spreads it along the Silk Road with Buddhism in tow, maybe?

Possibly though Wheat Gluten does not necessarily have to be closely tied with Buddhism, can easily see it take hold in parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Would be interesting to see how Christendom takes to it given that not only were the lower classes unable to afford meat and the upper classes at certain times already resorted to eating illusion food that imitated meat in ingenious ways (along with cheese and eggs), but consumption of meat was forbidden for a full third of the year for most Christian sects with all animal products (including eggs and dairy products) apart from fish being generally prohibited during Lent / etc.

At the same time while Wheat was common all over Europe, it was also considered more prestigious and thus more expensive.
 
And then, the Vatican rules it the same as meat and therefore not eligible to be eaten on days you couldn't eat the meat you can't afford?
 
John of Montecorvino spreads its use to the monasteries and then they to the parishoners

That is one way of spreading Wheat Gluten to Europe, perhaps as a pragmatic compromise to quell complaints from Kings to Commoners about being deprived of meat during times such as Lent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_cuisine#The_Church

And then, the Vatican rules it the same as meat and therefore not eligible to be eaten on days you couldn't eat the meat you can't afford?

Unlikely
 
Would be interesting to see how Christendom takes to it given that not only were the lower classes unable to afford meat and the upper classes at certain times already resorted to eating illusion food that imitated meat in ingenious ways (along with cheese and eggs), but consumption of meat was forbidden for a full third of the year for most Christian sects with all animal products (including eggs and dairy products) apart from fish being generally prohibited during Lent / etc.
Sounds like bad news for European celiacs.
 
Celiacs are a tiny percentage of the population, and likely had plenty of challenges already (since they would be stuck with bread for a good chunk of their diet, like it or not, just due to availability and budget).
 
Someone (at work) bitched about all the people with food allergies and made some snide comments about what they did before all the food options; to which I replied, "they died.". I imagine celiac's would find it hard to survive childhood back then.
 
And then, the Vatican rules it the same as meat and therefore not eligible to be eaten on days you couldn't eat the meat you can't afford?

The opposite is more likely. I mean, some birds were ruled as fish by the Catholic Church. I'm sure the Church would make a similar argument for this to be allowed. :p
 
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