Meat Substitutes: Tempeh VS Tofu VS Seitan
Tempeh
Rhizophus mold is used to culture it. The mold feeds on the substrate (the beans, grains, nuts and seeds) and mycelium of the Rhizophus mold grows around them. In addition to holding the substrates into a cake, the mycelium of the Rhizophus also makes beans easier to digest.
Unlike other soy products that are made with isolated soy proteins refined and processed, tempeh and tofu are not processed foods as they are made out of whole soybeans that have only been dehulled, split and boiled.
Fresh, unpasteurized tempeh is a little bit different from the shrink-wrapped mass-produced tempeh most people might be familiar with.
Tempeh does not necessarily need to be cooked prior to eating. But a lot of people recommend steaming tempeh before using it because it allegedly takes some of the bitterness away and also it doesn’t taste very good raw.
There are some smaller brands that indicate their product should not be eaten raw, but most commercial brands are fine raw. It depends on where you buy it, but the kind from Trader Joe’s which is repackaged as a common brand sold at Whole Foods, Kroger, etc. actually mentions that it’s fully cooked. Some eat this tempeh raw.
Tempeh from some brands like Luv contains living mycelium whether you buy it fresh or frozen. They don’t recommend that you eat their tempeh raw. While they take every precaution to make sure only beneficial bacteria are growing in tempeh, the best way to avoid illness is to cook their tempeh. Make sure all of the ingredients in tempeh are organic.
These days, tempeh has become popular outside of Indonesia especially as a meat substitute and has been integrated into a lot of dishes instead of meat. Tempeh is a food made out of cooked whole soybeans (a legume) that have been fermented. Tempeh is described as tasting nutty, earthy chewy and savory. The result of this fermentation is a thin cake which can be sliced, crumbled and cubed. All the soybeans are visible and stuck together as a result of the fermentation. While most tempeh is made out of soy, tempeh can be made with any legume or grain. This is usually differentiated by adding the name of the legume on the packaging, for example, garbanzo, lentils or black bean tempeh.
Benefits of fresh tempeh
Since tempeh is unpasteurized, tempeh still contains live probiotics. In addition, the fiber in tempeh is a wonderful prebiotic. The combination of these things makes tempeh wonderful for gut health. Flavor and texture of fresh unpasteurized tempeh is so much better than pasteurized.
- Break up some Smokey Maple Tempeh over a salad
- Can just eat like a snack
- Many recipes call for the tempeh to be steamed for 10-15 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. The tempeh expands just a little bit and becomes more porous which is ideal for marinades. It also can remove some of the bitterness.
- Slice it and pan fry it with a tiny bit of oil and a sprinkle of salt. It’s wonderful on a salad or buddha bowl this way. or pan fry as above, then once it’s browned, add your favorite BBQ sauce, stir until coated, and heat for another minute or so.
- Brush the tempeh with your favorite marinade and bake it on a baking sheet until lightly browned.
- Stir fried with Kecap Manis (a sweet soy sauce), served with a peanut satay sauce
- Slice very thinly and turned in to crackers
When sticky or slimy, mushy texture, unpleasant odor or more pungent odor, pink, yellowish or other colors other than black or white. Black spots are the fruiting bodies of the mycelium like a mushroom. It just means the tempeh has cultured further, not that it’s bad. You can still cook it and eat it, but not raw.
Tempeh is considered to be a nutrient dense food. It is low in sodium and cholesterol and high in protein. It has a lot of prebiotics and is an excellent source of fibre.
It was first make in island of Java in Indonesia. While most tempeh is fermented in plastic bags in the west, in Indonesia the soybeans are fermented in banana leaves instead.
Caution:
Make sure you check the expiration date and do not use it if it is past that date. My suggestion only buy small amount and finish it of rather than stacking it which makes it culture further in the refrigerator as the fungus is still alive.
When you eat fresh tempeh make sure you read the label and what the company suggests and also make sure it is fresh and not past the date, looks fresh and has no unpleasant odor.
Tofu Vs Tempeh:
Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk with Nigari. It is higher in water content Where as tempeh is made through fermentation
Bothe tempeh and tofu are high protein foods. They both are minimally processed but Tofu is relatively more processed than tempeh.
Tempeh Vs Seitan
They both are high in protein used as meat substitutes and minimally processed. Tempeh is made through fermentation of cooked soybeans, where as Seitan is made with vital wheat gluten (wheat protein). Seitan is slightly lower in fiber than tempeh.
Cost wise tofu is cheaper and Seitan is more expensive than tofu and tempeh.
Nutrition
100 grams of Tempeh, has 193 calories, 19gms of protein, 11gms fat and 7.6 grams carbs and 9grams fiber. Rich in probiotics, iron and potassium
100 grams of Tofu has 76 calories, 8gms of protein, 4.8gms fat and 1.9grams carbs and 0.9 grams fiber, rich in calcium and isoflavones