Awareness of tempeh in the UK is extremely limited but we think it's time for this to change as we introduce the delights of tempeh to the streets (and hopefully kitchens) of Britain. Although tempeh can be eaten in a multitude of different ways, we serve it in two freshly cooked dishes using only the finest ingredients (including our home-made organic tempeh, making all our dishes vegetarian and
vegan friendly!). Both dishes are cooked each morning over a period of several hours and are then served from the pans in which they're cooked, we're currently serving:
Lodeh Tempeh (Indonesian Tempeh Curry)
Tempeh Jinten (Cumin Tempeh)
What is tempeh? Tempeh has been eaten in Indonesia for centuries where it is highly appreciated not only for its great taste and texture but also for its remarkable health benefits. It is a deceptively simple product requiring no industrialised processing and containing only a few natural ingredients: soya beans, water, rice wine vinegar and a starter culture (nature's magical Rhispous Oligosporus – traditionally formed on hibiscus leaves). Over a period of 60+ hours, with a number of carefully controlled stages, these ingredients form a firm delicious 'patty' that has a subtle and slightly nutty taste. This can then be sliced, diced, grated and cooked in any number of ways. While being a vegetarian product, it’s actually non-vegetarians who eat most of the world's tempeh and at Warung Tempeh (as non-vegetarians ourselves) we don't view it as a purely 'vegetarian' product at all - like quality cheese and eggs, tempeh is simply good food for everyone to enjoy! Our Tempeh
We make all our own tempeh according to traditional methods from our home in Bedfordshire, which ensures all the tempeh we sell is of the highest possible quality. To gain the skills and knowledge required to make great tempeh, we spent several months in Indonesia at the beginning of 2013 learning from some of the country's finest tempeh producers... and on returning to the UK we then spent a further six months refining our processes, which has (we believe!) enabled us to produce tempeh comparable to the best in Indonesia. Health benefits
Not only is tempeh delicious but it is also very nutritious and has some quite remarkable properties. It has long been the subject of frequent global research and is often lauded as a ‘food for the future’ due to its sustainability and wide-ranging health benefits. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated tempeh's range of healthful qualities, which include:
High in protein (19g per 100g - comparable with meats)
Zero cholesterol
Low levels of saturated fat
High in fibre (100g providing over 25% of our daily dietary requirements)
Rich source of minerals and phytonutrients
Probiotic - promoting 'good' bacteria
Anti-biotic qualities reducing levels of harmful bacteria
For more detailed information on the health benefits of tempeh, please take a look at our website: www.warungtempeh.com
Sustainability
As academics and scientific bodies investigate solutions to the problem of unsustainable consumption, exasperated by a growing global population, tempeh is being increasingly recognised as having an important role to play. Encouraging people to eat less meat can contribute to alleviating some of the pressure on global resources and create a more balanced sustainable environment, and tempeh is widely seen as the ideal meat-free alternative. Tempeh has already been enjoyed by meat-eaters in Indonesia for centuries thanks to its pleasant taste and incredible versatility, and its popularity around the world is set to increase considerably as it becomes more widely available. In fact, when we first tried tempeh nearly 20 years ago we had no idea of the health benefits and environmental credentials of tempeh - we simply enjoyed it because it tasted so good! We first tried tempeh in a warung (an Indonesian street-side stall) so we thought Warung Tempeh an appropriate name
as we introduce our authentic organic tempeh to the lively street markets of London!
