Tempeh, nutty little soy bricks.
According to Wikipedia:
Tempeh, or tempe in Indonesian, is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. Tempeh is unique among major traditional soyfoods in that it is the only one that did not originate in China or Japan. It originated in today’s Indonesia, and especially popular on the island of Java, where it is a staple source of protein. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh’s fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins compared to tofu, as well as firmer texture and stronger flavor. Because of its nutritional value, tempeh is used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine; some consider it to be a meat analogue.
So, what that says to me is that in Tempeh, the soy beans are like undigested corn bits in your poop. Little nutty soy poop brick. Here, see for yourself.
As if the texture wasn’t delightful enough, the taste is even less enjoyable. In its defense, Tempeh is much like tofu in that it is a conduit for the flavor that you impart on it. So, in theory, if you marinate it in deliciousness, it will taste yummy. In my experience, this isn’t ever the way it works out. The block seems to be too dense to really absorb any flavors and it almost always tastes bland when you chew it. And, the soy nuts break apart in your mouth in a most undesirable way. Yuck.
Buy, Seitan. Chop it up, saute with some BBQ sauce, and add it to a baked potato. You’ll be much happier.
