Tempeh has been a staple in Indonesian cooking for centuries. It is essentially cultured soybean, and can be found in many supermarkets. Health Food stores stock several varieties; Tempeh plain or with grains, seeds, or other beans added.
An Indonesian product, tempeh is made by fermenting cooked, ground soybeans with a friendly bacteria, which, as it ages over several hours, forms a mycelium around the beans, quite similar to that of brie.
Unlike tofu, tempeh has a flavour. The flavour blends well with spices and marinades to make each dish unique. It can be shredded, chopped, sliced, diced, ground, and left in large pieces.
My favorite way to make Tempeh is to steam it, and then cut it up into small pieces, marinate it overnight (soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, oregano, seasoning salt, pepper, etc.) and fry it in oil or bake on a cookie sheet. Then it can be tossed into salads, put in taco shells or burritos, added to casseroles, and more.
1/2 pound of Tempeh contains: