Terrific Tempeh

Tempeh is perhaps the richest form of vegan protein food with
numerous attributes, ranking it above other soyfoods, and
legumes in general.

First, soyfoods including tempeh contain a full range of aminoacids
making it a complete protein. All other legumes link a key
amino acid, therefore need to be combined with grains or other
proteins to supply a complete protein.

Tempeh is highly digestible, supplying 19.5 grams of protein
per 100 gram serve. It contains an abundance of lecithin and
essential fatty acids.

To prepare tempeh from fresh takes approximately fifteen
minutes. This compares favourably with many legumes that
require pre-soaking and hours of cooking.

Tempeh has a richer, meatier texture than tofu and is
acceptable to many people who often dislike tofu. It is a
fermented food which makes it more warming than tofu.
As it contains the whole bean it is more of a wholefood with
1.4 grams of fibre per 100 grams.

Vitamin B12 is synthesised by bacteria. Tempeh made from
pure culture (Rhizpus starter) in a sterile commercial situation
may contain little or no B12. Tempeh made with Klebsiella
added to the starter may have a significant B12 content,
especially if it is made in a ‘less sterile’ home environment.

Harvest & Huckleberry now stocks NZ grown organic soybeans. The
enthusiastic homemaker may like to make tempeh from scratch.
It can be made in bulk as it freezes well. A key requirement is an
environment to incubate your bags of tempeh for 24 hours at
approximately 86°F or 26°C.

The culture can be ordered from Gem Culture, 30301
Sherwood Road, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 or online. Additional
nutritional data and a multitude of recipes can be found in
‘The Book of Tempeh’ by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi.