system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why is gluten so unique an ingredient in cooking? Are there no other edible proteins which serve a similar function?

**Edit:**

To clarify, I mean that gluten found in wheat and other glutenous grains serves to give food a somewhat more spongy texture, as well as acting as a binding ingredient.

Specifically, gluten-free baked goods are notoriously dry, dense and distasteful. Why is this? Are there no common ingredients that can fill the niche of gluten?
gpt
There are two proteins glutenin and gliadin. When combined with water and mixed they uncoil and attach to each other to form gluten. During the mixing the chains stretch and intertwine to produce the gluten structure. When heated the gluten structure coagulates and solidifies. During the coagulation most of the water is released, some of the water evaporates some gets absorbed by the starches (most of flour is starch).

The thing is gluten is fairly unique. You can simulate it but it's extremely dependent on the type or recipe. Some recipes you can use eggs to simulate it. Pectin can work, cornstarch can partially compensate. Gums are popular to use, like xanthan gum.