Tempeh

RE: Tempeh

can you enlighten me to what tempeh is?

RE: Tempeh

I am SO sorry not to have replied to you. I actually forgot about this post. I also have to admit that I don't really know what tempeh is except that it's made with whole cooked soya beans which are somehow pressed between sheets of a kind of white 'rind', much like the rind on camembert or brie cheese. I do know that it's absolutely delicious, chewy and filling, when stir fried or used in loads of other dishes.

Love
Sunanda x

RE: Tempeh

I'd like to second that tempeh is delicious. It is basically fermented soya beans. It is generally described as'a delicious cultured soya product:
Dairy Free, Gluten Free, low fat, Organic, Vegan, and Wheat Free'.
The following gives a fuller explanation.

Tempeh

Because of its chewy texture, tempeh makes a good meat replacement in many dishes.

Tempeh is a tender, chunky cake of fermented soybeans that is a staple of Indonesian cooking. To make tempeh, whole soybeans are mixed with grains, usually rice or millet, and then incubated with a starter, which begins the fermentation process.

Varieties
There are several varieties of tempeh, depending on the type of grain used. Most are made with rice or millet.

Buying and storing tips
Because tempeh is perishable, it is usually sold in the refrigerated or frozen foods section. Frozen tempeh can be kept for about 3 months. Once it is defrosted, it must be refrigerated and used within 10 days.

Availability
Tempeh is available year-round.

Preparation, uses, and tips
Because tempeh is a fermented product, a light layer of mould can sometimes form on the outside. As is true for many types of cheese, this mould is harmless and edible. Tempeh is a perishable product that contains a live, active culture so it must always be consumed cooked. Because of its chewy texture, tempeh makes a good meat replacement in many dishes. Tempeh is especially good sautéed in oil or cooked on the grill. There are many ways to prepare delicious tempeh dishes. It can be steamed and then marinated in barbecue sauce or lemon marinade and grilled until brown; cut into chunks, sautéed, and added to chilli or spaghetti sauce; and stir-fried with vegetables and a stir-fry sauce. Shredded tempeh can be used to make a tuna-like spread for sandwiches. To prepare, steam the tempeh for 20 minutes and then grate it. Mix with mayonnaise, chopped onion, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Nutritional Highlights
Tempeh, 100g (cooked)
Calories: 197
Protein: 18.2g
Carbohydrate: 9.3g
Total Fat: 11.4g
Fiber: 0.0g
*Good source of: Iron (2.13g), Magnesium (77mg), Zinc(1.57mg), and Vitamin B6 (0.2mg)

(I buy mine from a specialised local health food shop).

Hope this helps. 😉

Best wishes
Moonfairy
x

RE: Tempeh

Thanks a lot, Moonfairy, that's really useful info. I shall start searching in every health food shop I see!

However, your article said:

Tempeh is a perishable product that contains a live, active culture so it must always be consumed cooked.

Uh oh! I didn't know this and used to nibble bits off mine when it was raw (it was delicious!) Hope I haven't done any harm....

Love
Sunanda xxx

PS I don't think mine was made with rice or millet or any kind of grain. It seemed to be just soya beans...organic ones too!

Edit to say that I've just found this site:
and discovered that it looks very easy to make tempeh at home (soya only) so I've asked them to send the free sample of starter and I shall have a go. I'll let you know how it turns out.

RE: Tempeh

Hi Sunanda

Hope you find the tempeh in the shops Ok. But if you do make your own, do let me know how it turns out, and any tips on recipes/cooking it.

We mainly eat it in stir-fry chinese type dishes and marinate the tempeh in soy sauce before use. It is delicious then.

Best wishes
Moonfairy
x

RE: Tempeh

Hi Moonfairy

Well it looked as though my tempeh making was doomed to failure before it began: the site in Netherlands that offers free starters was asking for 2.50 euros to cover postage and wanted paying by paypal. I said no prob and started to set up a paypal account but i chickened out when i got to the bit about them sending me money and me having to set up a direct debit and on and on and on.

So i emailed 'erik' at tempeh info and said i couldn't set up the payment so we would have to forget my request for a starter. Well, blow me down, he emailed this morning to say that he would send it anyway....isn't that lovely in this day and age? Do have a look at the site: it gives very clear instructions on how to make it. I expect the hulling of the soya beans to be a bit of a pain as i certaiinly don't intend to buy the machine they talk about but i'm certainly going to give it a go.

And i will keep you posted....

Love
Sunanda xxx

RE: Tempeh

Hi Sunanda

What a nice bloke 'erik' seems to be. Perhaps he has come from the recent entertaining Viking thread here on HP? 😀 As you say, how very refreshing for him to send the stuff anyway.Ahhhhhhhhhh. If it's a success then of course he is on to a winner for more orders. 😉 I hope it works well for you and if you do get to be knee deep in tempeh, you can always send me some.

The health benefits of tempeh seem to be amazing. I found this.

Many of us only recognise soya as the main ingredient of soya milk or tofu... Some controversial research into soya suggests that tempeh is one of only a few nutritionally beneficial ways of consuming soya.

Using the whole bean, rather than just the extracted soya milk as in tofu, means that tempeh is a natural wholefood, providing a good source of dietary fibre. It is the culturing process that gives tempeh its unique flavour and texture, and at the same time enhances the nutritional value and digestibility of the soya beans from which it is made.

Enzymes produced by the Rhizopus culture actually predigest many of the basic nutrients of the beans, including more than 50% of the original protein, turning it into amino acids and other water-soluble products that are readily assimilated by the body.

In addition, the culture also produces an active enzyme called phytase, which helps liberate additional quantities of minerals and mineral salts such as calcium and zinc, from the beans.

And if that were not enough, there are indications that it may be possible to increase the body's resistance to infection by eating tempeh, as the Rhizopus culture produces natural heat-stable anti-bacterial agents that act as antibiotics against some disease-causing organisms.

"Ha,Ha,Ha, He,He,He...We are soya beans grown organically"!

---

Best of luck with it
Moonfairy
xx

RE: Tempeh

Hi Moonfairy

you quoted:
[color="#008000"][color="#008000"]And if that were not enough, there are indications that it may be possible to increase the body's resistance to infection by eating tempeh, as the Rhizopus culture produces natural heat-stable anti-bacterial agents that act as antibiotics against some disease-causing organisms.

Now, that is very interesting as i ate quite a lot of tempeh while I was in India this winter (that's where I discovered it, home made from organic soya beans by an American lady). Looking back, I remained totally healthy all winter whereas I normally pick up a couple of 'fevers' somewhere down the line. I wonder if the tempeh had anything to do with it.

Anyway I'm looking forward to my little package of starter arriving. (I wonder what it looks like?[sm=scratchchin.gif])

Love
Sunanda xx
[color="#008000"]

RE: Tempeh

Hi

Recently someone asked me either, in another thread or in a pm, if I had tried making tempeh yet. Well the answer is not yet - the free starter arrived (from Belgium not Holland) and I have the organic soya beans and am just waiting for some free time. Mind you, I am sprouting mung beans and alfalfa and am planning to make hummous too, so it's all to come....

Love
Sunanda xxx

RE: Tempeh

Twas me Sunanda, Moonfairy, asking you in a pm I'd sent you on another subject. I wanted to know if you'd tried to make your own tempeh yet. Do let me how it goes.

Best wishes
Moonfairy
x

RE: Tempeh

Oh boo - it hasn't worked! The white mould hasn't developed so the bean are just loose beans! I expect I didn't keep it in a warm enough place because I don't have an airing cupboard. I am sooooo disappointed. And I can't even buy tempeh ready made in my health shop - they don't stock it.

Love
Sunanda x

RE: Tempeh

Oh dear Sunanda, I hear your sadness.

As you say, it probably wasn't warm enough. What a pity ......................... Are you going to have another try?

Best wishes
Moonfairy
x

RE: Tempeh

What a nice picture! I'm annoyed more than sad (well, yes, sad too) because I can't try again - I have no more of the free starter. I can't very well ask them to send me some more, given that they let me off the postage first time round.
BTW where do you buy yours from?

Love
Sunanda xx

RE: Tempeh

Glad you like the piccie.

I buy tempeh from a local specialist health food shop here in Portsmouth - I came across it while rummaging through their freezer.I like a good rummage.;)

I wondered if Holland & Barrett might sell it? Perhaps I'll have a look at the weekend. 😀