Tempeh

🌱 What it is

Tempeh is made by fermenting whole cooked soybeans with a beneficial mold culture, which binds them into a firm, sliceable cake with a nutty, slightly mushroomy flavor. Because it uses the whole bean, it keeps more fiber than tofu.

📜 Where it comes from

Tempeh originated on the island of Java in Indonesia, likely several centuries ago, where it was developed as a way to preserve and transform soybeans using a beneficial mold culture, becoming a dietary staple across Indonesian cooking. Javanese cooks traditionally wrapped soaked, cooked soybeans in banana leaves to ferment. Tempeh spread internationally in the 20th century as vegetarian and whole-food diets grew in popularity in the West.

✨ Why it's good for you

• A complete plant protein, higher in protein per serving than tofu
• Fermentation makes some nutrients easier for the body to use
• Keeps more fiber than tofu since the whole soybean is used
• May help support healthy cholesterol levels

🥗 Nutrition

Per 1/2 cup (83g) · about 160 calories

• Protein 15.4g
• Fiber 4.5g
• Calcium 92mg
• Manganese 1.1mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central

🥄 How to use it

Slice and pan-fry, bake, or steam tempeh before eating (steaming first can mellow its flavor); marinate it well since it readily soaks up seasonings.

Why it works: Nutrition science attributes tempeh's higher protein and fiber content, compared to tofu, to its use of the whole fermented soybean, while the fermentation process is said by food scientists to make its nutrients more digestible.

📚 Learn more

💬 Ask Remy about Tempeh

📚 Resource confidence

Based on mentions in health references

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