What is Tempeh?
What is Tempeh?
Originating in Indonesia, tempeh is a fermented food consisting of cooked soybeans (or other legumes, seeds, etc) bound together by a dense mycelium of a mold called Rhizopus. It is sold fresh, refridgerated, or frozen in three quarter inch cakes or patties. You can also buy Rhizopus, which is also called “tempeh starter” and make your own tempeh. It is used in recipes ranging from main dishes to salads to dips. It is a highly versatile food that will add flavor and nutrition to any recipe.
What are the Health Benefits of Tempeh?
Tempeh provides essential protein in a strict vegetarian diet. It is also the world’s richest resource of Vitamin B12 for the vegetarian diet, which is often lacking in a vegetarian diet. In one 3 1/2 oz serving there is only 157 calories. It is also low in saturated fats and contains no cholesterol, and is extremely low in sodium, making tempeh an ideal food for a healthy diet.
Tempeh is also easy on the digestive system. During the fermentation process, enzymes from the mold partially break down the soy proteins and oils, so the body doesn’t have to work as much to break it down. It also contains a good amount of natural dietary fiber, which also aids in the digestive tract and is beneficial in protecting against chronic diseases.
Tempeh also contains natural antibiotics, produced by the Rhizopus mold. These antibiotics help fight off many diseases.
Tempeh is most commonly found made with soybeans, so you also get all the healthy benefits of soy. If you make your own, you can experiment by trying different nuts and legumes to get their nutritional value.
How to Cook with Tempeh
As mentioned earlier, tempeh can be used in a variety of different ways. It can be sliced up thin and fried with garlic and soy sauce for a salty substitute for bacon on pizza or in breakfast meals. It can be ground up into a dip such as guacamole for added taste and nutrition. It goes great on a salad. Just cut it up into tiny pieces and fry it up lightly, maybe adding a few spices, and toss into a salad.
Another way to cook with tempeh is cut it up into cubes and simmer it on the stove in a pot of water and soy sauce (I prefer Bragg’s Liquid Aminos). Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, then drain the liquid. You can use the tempeh fresh like that, or mash it up and use in other ways. My favorite recipes involve this process.
Tempeh is a wonderfully nutritional food to use as a meat substitute. Its many health benefits are ideal for a nutritional diet. Go on, try it and see what everybody is talking about!
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