Tempeh

What is it?

Tempeh is typically a cultured cake of soybeans. It’s been a staple food in Indonesia for centuries. Tempeh is made by cooking soybeans and culturing them overnight. During this time the beans are covered with a thick, white mat of mycelia that binds them together into a solid cake. The next day, tempeh is harvested at the peak of its flavor and steamed to make it ready to eat, then packaged for shipping.

Tempeh is an excellent source of high quality, cholesterol free protein. The protein in tempeh is every bit as high quality as the protein derived from meats and like all vegetable proteins, tempeh has no cholesterol. It’s a “complete” protein that contains all 11 of the essential amino acids, L-histidine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lysine, L-methionine, L-Cystine, dl-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, L-threonine, L-tryptophan, and L-valine. Essential amino acids cannot be made in the body and must come from outside food sources.

It is low in saturated fats, a good source of dietary fiber and highly digestible. Like the making of cheese, yogurt or other fermented foods, it is the incubation process that makes tempeh delicious and digestible.

Where will you find Tempeh?

In the refrigerator or freezer sections.

People who are allergic to soy/gluten should avoid tempeh.