our new favourite protein: tempeh
As plant-based foods become more popular, different sources of vegan proteins are starting to pop up more and more, like tempeh. We enjoyed chatting to the team from Club Cultured who are behind the tasty tempeh in our Warm Tempeh Gado Gado. Continue reading to find out more about what tempeh is and who Club Cultured are…
Who is Club Cultured?
We are a Club pioneering a more natural way of life, The Real Food Revolution for mind, body & spirit. A peace movement that makes amazing high quality ferments who want to help foster solutions to some of the biggest questions we face as a species.
What is Tempeh exactly?
Tempeh is a plant-based protein made from fermenting beans with mycelium. During the fermentation it grows into a natural meaty block which is extremely tasty, versatile and nutritious. Tempeh is a great source of protein and fibre with a 100g serving containing 21g and 6g respectively, not forgetting it is jam packed with gut friendly goodness. The fact that it tastes amazing and it is a completely natural wholefood. Tempeh is not trying to impersonate anything – it is simply beans, that once fermented create a natural meaty product.
How was Club Cultured started?
After discovering tempeh for the first time whilst backpacking in Indonesia, we were blown away by this amazing ingredient and were instantly hooked. Upon returning back home we were let down by the quality of the tempeh available in the shops, so we decided to try making our own. This started with us getting an old fridge off facebook and converting it into a fermenter. We were ready to make some tempeh! We then managed to convince Connor to quit his job as a chef in the Michelin starred kitchen of The Ritz and join us on this fantastic fermenting adventure. Two years later we are the proud owners of London’s first ever tempeh factory and working with some of the leading names in food.
Other than our epic Tempeh Gado Gado dish, what are some other recipe ideas for using Tempeh?
What is great about tempeh is how versatile it is. The only limit is your creativity! Some simple ways to get the best results include marinating the tempeh. As it is made from beans it is very porous and soaks up flavour incredibly well – the OG recipe being Tempeh Bacon. It can also be crumbled as a natural mince replacement for a bolognese or a chilli non carne. Or just cut into chunks and brown off for stir fries, curries or stews.
Where can people find your Tempeh if they’d like to try using it in their own recipes?
You can get some of our famous fresh organic tempeh from the Club Cultured website direct to your front door.
Tempeh is a versatile, nutrient-dense, fermented product. As it is rich in protein it makes a great addition to anyone’s diet. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, meat-free curious or plant-based on the weekends, you have to try tempeh and find out what all the hype is about! And if you don’t feel like cooking it, you can order our delicious Sticky Pan-Fried Tempeh Gado Gado via Deliveroo from one of our restaurants.
