Tempeh Facts
Tempeh is a fermented soy food that originates from Indonesia. The process of making tempeh consists of cooking soybeans and then inoculating them after the drying process. Tempeh must incubate for 24-48 hours giving the spore time to grow creating a bean patty with a meaty texture.
Tempeh is a probiotic food. This means that it contains bacteria that are beneficial to the human digestive system. The primary probiotic bacteria in tempeh is Rhizopus Oryzae Culture. Tempeh produces a natural antibiotic that is shown to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the body. Tempeh has also been shown to help guard against the following aliments:
- Growth of some cancer cells
- Poor digestion
- Acne
- Osteoperosis
- High Cholesterol
- Menopausal Symptoms
Nutrition Facts
- An excellent source of protein, contains all the essential amino acids; same quality protein as meat or poultry
- Excellent source of calcium
- Low in saturated fat
- High in essential fatty acids & B vitamins
- Cholesterol free
- High in soluble dietary fiber
- Fermentation neutralizes the phytate acid present in the soybeans; therefore tempeh does not restrict the body’s absorption of minerals.
- Easy to digest because the fermentation process breaks down the complex proteins found in soybeans, making tempeh more easily digested than non-fermented soy foods or whole soybeans
- High in isoflavones
- A good source of folic acid
- Low in sodium
Tempeh Versus Tofu, Chicken, Beef
Protein and minerals in tempeh are comparable to beef but tempeh has much less cholesterol and low saturated fats
References:
- Babu, P.D., Bhakyaraj, R., Vidhyalakhsmi, R. (2009). A Low Cost Nutritious Food “Tempeh” – A Review. World Journal of Dairy and Food Sciences, 4 (1), 22-27.
- Nine Kirana Ratih, S., Soka, S., Suwanto, A. (2017). Effect of Tempeh Supplementation on the Profiles of Human Intestinal Immune System and Gut Microbia. Microbiology Indonesia, 11 (1), 11-17.
- Soka, S. (2014). Effect of Tempeh Supplementation on Gut Microbiota and Immunoglobulin A Profiles in Sprague Dawley Rats. PhD Dissertation Bogor Agricultural University.
- http://www.wikipedia.org
Healthy and Tasty Food...
Besides its health benefits, tempeh is also very tasty. Tempeh can be cooked with any of your favorite recipes. Please check out Wiwas Tempeh recipes here.
