SECOND UPDATE: After steaming and marinating, it tastes SO much better. I don’t know, though, if I want to cook something to make it edible, or just stick with tofu.
UPDATE: I steamed some and then put it a Koreanish marinade. I’ll let you know how it tastes!
Original:
Do other people detest tempeh? Or, am I cooking it wrong? It tastes burnt and bitter to me. I’ve pan fried and microwaved it. I tried a flavored version and it was still bad.
Can you help me like tempeh???
Steaming it first makes a huge difference in texture and flavor.
there's so much vegan food I do like that it's easy to just not eat tempeh.
I love this take. Vegans have some of the most talented cooks on their team, resulting in a lot of awesome foods. Tempeh is only one of countless solutions to whichever taste / texture problem is being tackled
Steaming first should get rid of the bitterness. Also I typically maranade tempeh overnight in a hearty ginger/garlic or bbq sauce and that pretty much takes over the flavor.
This ⬆️ is what salvaged it for me
This is exactly what I do. I cut the tempeh into large triangles, marinate for a few hours and toss it in the oven or a frying pan. Tempeh takes in flavor much faster/better than tofu in my opinion, as it isn’t filled with water
Steam before marinade then?
I find with strong enough marinade over night the tanginess gets masked when I pan fry it
Came here to comment this exactly, restaurants seemingly have no idea to do this. It’s so good if you steam it first, tastes completely different imo
How long do you steam it?
10 minutes in an Instant Pot.
How do you steam it? Covered or "free"? I love bought tempeh with herbs but the self made ones are quite bitter.
I do it in the Instant Pot, so the lid is on. I don't do anything but cut it up first.
I don’t steam mine or marinade, I just cut the tempeh into bite size pieces and cover with bbq sauce. I usually bake it or fry it up in a pan to caramelize the sugars in the sauce a bit. Comes out tasty for me.
I love tempeh but I hate tempeh “bacon”. Liquid smoke soaked tempeh is not great
I don’t use any liquid smoke for mine, lots of smoked paprika
The way I like mine is thinly, thiiiinly sliced and then pan fried and covered with spices. The crispness cuts the bitterness
Agreed! Although I go sauce over spice. BBQ sandwiches with slaw are great
yaassss 🤌✨
I have learned to love tofu. I haven't even learned to like tempeh under any circumstances. Fine with it, there are a lot of other great things out there.
I'm the opposite. I liked tofu, then tried tempeh and now I can't stand tofu because it's too soft.
Have you tried boiling it before cooking? Boil it, then cut it and marinade it. To cook, sauté in a pan or bake.
I don't like tempeh or tofu, due to the texture. Perhaps I could research different preparation methods, too.
Slight aside, if you're having issues with tofu, I’d recommend trying sprouted tofu. The soybeans are allowed to sprout before processing them into tofu, and is much more mild and creamy. I would compare the texture and taste more to a mild cheese (like mozzarella) than standard tofu.
I like to simmer it in coconut milk and curry paste. (Like green curry or tom yum.) Like others have said, steaming it first will reduce bitterness and help it to absorb flavor. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it. If it smells too strong it grosses me out and I can't eat it.
You need to cook it in some sort of a slightly sweet sauce. E.g. teriyaki. This will temper the bitterness quite a bit.
I love tempeh, try making a nasi goreng and steam the tempeh before putting it in the wok. It tastes awesome with the ketjap manis.
So good! Dice up the tempeh small, Fry it, smother in kecap manis and garlic, add some sambal to serve
Do you add anything to it for flavor? i wouldn't eat tempeh as is but it can be delicious seasoned with spices, or a sauce.
I love bbq tempeh sandwiches.
I LOVE tempeh. It's so much better than tofu in my books, because I just love the texture. I usually marinate it over night. My favourite marinate is freshly squeezed orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. It's freaking great in a wok stir fry.
the orange juice👏🏼
My way to find out whether I dislike a food or just don't know how to make it is to try it at a restaurant I normally like. And Tempeh just doesn't seem to be my thing. Tried making it myself a few times, following all the advices of steaming etc., also tried it at a generally amazing restaurant and didn't like it there either. And while it's healthy, idk why I'd eat something where I have to actively remove/cover up the taste rather than just using tofu and flavouring that however I want.
My thought exactly
Same.
while it's healthy, idk why I'd eat something where I have to actively remove/cover up the taste
This is my approach to asparagus, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
I just cover it in BBQ sauce + Frank's Wing Sauce and fry it. Tastes pretty good.
I eat it once every two or three years, remember why I hate it, repeat.
I really dislike tempeh, but I love tofu. That's good enough for me.
Tempe is from Indonesia 🇮🇩. Look up recipes from Indonesia.
Here are two recipes from Devina Hermawan:
Praktis Ekonomis! Resep TEMPE LADA HITAM [Menu Vegetarian]
Resep TEMPE GORENG TEPUNG Favorit Keluarga: Renyah & Wangi!
The videos are in Indonesian. Click the CC button to get English subtitles.
Indonesian recipes are 100% the way to go with it. Tempeh Mendoan and Tempeh Kecap were the game changers for me
Sambal tempeh goreng is amazing, a must try
Tempeh = awful, yes. If I've tried something a few times and still find it repulsive, I'd probably just stop wasting money on it. Taste preferences are such an individual thing; don't overthink it.
Yes it is horrible
It's so awful, I tried so many times to like it.
I always hated tempeh. Then I started at my current job where we get tempeh made from lentils and another made from black beans. Actually delicious. I guess it's the traditional soy tempeh I hate. I hadn't known there were different types.
I'm somewhere between goblin and raccoon on the scale of "will eat anything" so of course I love tempeh. I would never microwave it though - I always marinate it and fry it, and it goes in sandwiches or salads mostly.
Yeah microwaving it is definitely not the way to go
I’ve been slicing quite small, marinating in a Japanese Barbecue sauce for 48 hrs then pan frying. So good!
I eat it cold from the package 😐 marinating it overnight helps if you don't like the bitter flavor.
I love marinating it in soy sauce before pan frying, give it a really nice flavor and texture.
I’m not really good at making tempeh dishes myself, but there’s a local restaurant that does a tempeh burger marinated in shio koji and it’s delicious. Probably the best burger I’ve ever eaten
I don’t normally like it, but tempeh nuggets are to die for. I just dip them in milk, then seasoned flour back and forth a few times and deep fry. The texture really comes out nice and they’re really cheesy.
Fried tempeh is a “shuttle” for peanut sauce!
We add tempeh in salads at my place, raw.
It’s excellent in a bolognese. Crumble it and fry it along with the onions. Yummmm adds amazing umami
Tempeh bacon is heaven
My wife makes great sambal goreng tempeh, it’s an Indonesian dish, crispy fried tempeh with sweet sticky kecap manis sauce and spices. it’s more of a side dish with a vegetable or tofu dish but also great on a bread roll with some sweet and sour pickles for instance.
Edit: here is a recipe in Dutch for example, but it should translate well, where they mention boemboe it’s a mixed spice paste.
There's some variance in the bitterness across different brands! I hated the Trader Joe's tempeh. Lightlife tempeh is pretty good but bitter if I don't steam it first, but my favorite is Franklin Farm's tempeh! I don't find that I need to steam it.
Try this recipe too, it's easy and my favorite way to eat tempeh so far :)
https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/bacon-marinated-tempeh/
Amy Chaplin's Miso-Turmeric Baked Tempeh is so good:
https://books.google.com/books?id=3aqNDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA257&lpg=PA257&dq=site:+amychaplin.com+%0D%0AMiso-turmeric+baked+tempeh&source=bl&ots=R9gAT9n_em&sig=ACfU3U3iFcYemot1oQgNI69s-8llSx9B5g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj65PXEoY6AAxUinokEHZx-C6cQ6AF6BAgjEAM#v=onepage&q=site%3A%20amychaplin.com%20%20%20Miso-turmeric%20baked%20tempeh&f=false
I used to dislike it until I started steaming or simmering in a broth first.
I've tried many store-bought brands of tempeh and have not liked a single one. I just don't like the flavor of fermented soybeans. I was in China for the first time this summer and was excited to try "stinky tofu," but nope, that was not for me either.
Gotta steam it first (seems tedious, but, god, does it make a difference!!)
Steam helps get rid of that bitter/burnt taste (you need to let him breathe for a second, he’s been fermented then stuck in an airtight package. you’d be bitter too in that situation!)
So give him some steam, then marinate him in your flavouring of choice, before pan-frying (or popping in the oven)
(Thin slices also help!)
Huh I love tempeh idk, I usually cut it into tiny cubes and pan fry it in soy sauce and some black pepper for like 5 minutes, it picks up whatever flavor you use with it.
Me too. Just commenting so I can come back for ideas lol
It just tastes nutty to me, but my favorite way to eat it slathered in BBQ sauce!
I always steam it first. Sometimes after steaming I throw it in my mini food processor and then add the crumbles to whatever I’m eating. Can’t even tell it’s there.
No matter what you do with it later, cook it for 10 minutes. It won't taste bitter after that.
Thinly sliced and deep fried 🤤
Look for fresh unpasteurized tempeh. Many areas have a local producer. It has no bitterness. Otherwise steam or boil to get rid of the bitterness of pasteurized tempeh as others have said.
I hate it so much, I keep on trying it and regret it every time. Doesn’t matter which restaurant or who makes it for me, I’ve tried every tip to make it palatable but nope. It’s so gross and awful tasting to me.
The only way I really enjoy it is on a toasted hoagie with a combo mayo/ mustard sauce and grilled or sauteed portobello mushrooms. I had it that way the first time I ever tied it at a Carribean Cafe back in the 90s and it's still really the only way I like it.
I had never thought to combine mustard and mayo to make it creamy and now I do it all the time.
I absolutely love tempeh I love it slightly pan fried with a little salt and pepper I even like it raw. I like the kind of fermented bitter taste it has. I have never heard of steaming it but will definitely try that! Your best bet for masking the taste might be in curry or chili something really saucy. I like it as a paneer replacement in curry. Cube it and pan fry it and then simmer it in curry.
Omg thanks for all these great tempeh tips everyone!
Nope, it's absolutely disgusting.
I just cut it up and put it in a salad..... Am I not supposed to do that?!?!
sauté or bake in olive oil, soy sauce, paprika, garlic powder, nooch, and thyme🫶🏻
I’ve only made it taste good maybe once or twice. I just cannot stand that shit. I want to like it so bad but there’s something about the flavor that I can’t find a way to enjoy.
I tend to find I enjoy tempeh much more as a crumble rather than slices. Break it up and marinade, bake and then sprinkle over salads or in sandwiches, add to soup noodles and whatever you like.
I find by breaking it up it removes some of the sour taste and stodgy texture, much more enjoyable to eat
I never realized how many people dislike tempeh! I’ve always liked it, never taste bitterness or do anything special to it. I usually lean towards using it for hearty foods, like with mushrooms and walnuts. Stir fry. Sometimes make the tlt sandwiches or bbq sandwiches. I’m happy to have the cue to look at Indonesian recipes to explore.
I do like tempeh, i did age it the frist time in japan, i still like it 10 years later
I boil before cooking.
Two favorite tempeh recipes that made me fall in love with it-
https://minimalistbaker.com/crispy-peanut-tofu-cauliflower-rice-stir-fry/
https://www.food.com/recipe/tempeh-sausage-crumbles-169090 - I use this on pizza very often and it’s so good. Also good in breakfast burritos!
I really feel ya. Tempeh is such a nutrition food and it can be a mystery.
Two things:
A. I really believe brand matters (at least to my experience). IMO, LightLite tempeh is problematic (bitter AF even after steaming). On the other hand Surata Tempeh is deeeeLISH! Love it. So trying different brands is a must.
B. We got to steam or simmer that shizz to lessen the bitter and then marinade or add seasoning.
Please don't give up on Tempeh. It's the real deal! :D
Do you mean Surata? I'm completely with you, but Surata is almost impossible to find in most of the country/world.
OMG, sorry. My typo. Yep, I meant Surata. It is sooo fn good! It is hard to find (and I'm in the PNW, even :(
I hope that they are still in biz.
Take care, Friend!
I can confirm that they were still in business as of few months ago. I used to live near their factory in Eugene, OR.
Hmmm. Good to know 👍🏼 I tried writing to them via but heard nada. Who knows?
For better or worse, they don't seem like a business that reliably responds to customer mail.
Tempeh has a strong flavor even after it's steamed, so it needs to go in something that's stout enough to support it. I don't make it often any more because I'm just cooking for myself, but I really like tempeh with bean sprouts and chilies in a peanut sauce that's heavily seasoned with cumin and cayenne pepper. Put it over whole wheat pasta, but don't make the sauce with peanut butter that has any sweetener in it of any kind.
Really!?! I actually don't mind it, but I also haven't tried to make it myself
It's worth noting that some tempeh is better than others. I can only stomach the standard Lightlife tempeh if it's marinated and steamed, but I used to live next to a tempeh/tofu factory and their tempeh was delicious without those steps.
I like tempeh when other people make it, but I haven't cracked the code myself. TBH I haven't put much effort into figuring it out, because there's so much vegan food I do like that it's easy to just not eat tempeh.
I think you're supposed to steam it before cooking, so maybe that would help.