Tempeh as a cheese substitute?

[Glen Lambert]

I was nibbling on a bit of tempeh last night and thought to myself "hmmm....this tastes like I think I remember how cheese used to taste".

Okay, maybe if that cheese was really bland and stuff but after a few more test nibbles I became convinced that it was cheesy.

So, has anyone else ever thought this and used it as such?

[twinkle]

I have never really got into tempeh, and part of the reason is because it reminds me of the banana taint your sandwiches get when they've been stuck in a packed lunch box for several hours with a banana. And those sandwiches would usually have been cheese and tomato (from the time I was at school). So, no, apart from very tangentily I can't say tempeh reminds me of cheese

[Gwydion]

*rings Glen's doctor*

[missbettie]

i actually kind of agree with you Glen. I think its the texture. I really didn't like tempeh but i finally found a way to cook it in a way that i like it, but the bad thing is I like it soooo much that I eat the whole package....soooo I can't cook it too often...

[RubyDuby]

maybe a big block of hard, stinky feet parmesan.

ps- I like tempeh

[emmapresley]

dont do it glen.. back away from the weird tempeh stuff.

i only bought it once, packeted from ootw. the odd looking bumpy stuff? i fail to see how thats appetising on any level.

maybe its like people who have had bad experiences with tofu and are determined never to try it again because its vile. i dont get tempeh, but im willing to give it another go. well, nah, not really.

[RubyDuby]

try it mock chicken salad style! you know, shedded and mixed with mayo, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley... I almost recommended celery. Sorry! Skip that, but you can add whatever you like... bell pepper, pickles, scallions. So good in a warm pita!

[emmapresley]

celery!!

woah there pickle.

i may tentatively investigate it again. ty ruby

[harpy]

I usually buy the sliced version that's already flavoured with garlic etc - but I can see why au naturel you might think it think that fermented and slightly mouldy (in a good way!) taste is like cheese, Glen. The texture seems quite different though so you'd need to work on that to use it as a substitute.

[cobweb]

^ slightly mouldy, wtf??? ew!

I quite like the tempeh rashers though.

[Glen Lambert]

dont do it glen.. back away from the weird tempeh stuff.

i only bought it once, packeted from ootw. the odd looking bumpy stuff? i fail to see how thats appetising on any level.

maybe its like people who have had bad experiences with tofu and are determined never to try it again because its vile. i dont get tempeh, but im willing to give it another go. well, nah, not really.

I pretty good at Tofu. I don't by Tempeh too often as I think the only place this side of somewhere very far way that sells it is OOTW. It's really nice. I was nibbling at it raw, I had it grated, I had it marinated, sliced then fried like bacon and I had it in noodle soup. It's all gone now and I am sad.

try it mock chicken salad style! you know, shedded and mixed with mayo, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley... I almost recommended celery. Sorry! Skip that, but you can add whatever you like... bell pepper, pickles, scallions. So good in a warm pita!

OOOH! Sound delicious. Will buy some more Tempeh at the weekend and try that. I'll do a live eat on Twitter too.

[emmapresley]

im gonna be in leeds on sat so if youre there also leave me a packet, ill buy some and try it with an open mind thankyouverymuch.

[Glen Lambert]

im gonna be in leeds on sat so if youre there also leave me a packet, ill buy some and try it with an open mind thankyouverymuch.

I'll be sure to leave a pack.

[RubyDuby]

I'll do a live eat on Twitter too.

lol I wish I twittered! ...tweeted?? Twat?!

[fondducoeur]

I'm pretty sure that I don't think tempeh tastes like how I remember cheese tastes (if I do in fact remember...), but I love tempeh!

[Gwydion]

lol I wish I twittered! ...tweeted?? Twat?!

Twatted.

[cobweb]

[RubyDuby]

thanks for clearing that up! lol

[fiamma]

The last time I ate tempeh I thought it tasted like tuna!! Never thought it tasted like cheese though...

[emmapresley]

my leftover brocolli risotto tasted like fish.

just to make this on topic, im not sure i can face a packt of tempeh at the weekend, i really dont think so..

[RubyDuby]

oh no. you can't back out.

[emmapresley]

yes i bloody well can. i didnt sign no contract now way no how you cant make me buy it you cant nu uh

[RubyDuby]

chicken.

[missbettie]

hey rube, do you mix the "chicken" mixture with veganaise? do you heat up the tempeh?

[RubyDuby]

I mix chopped up tempeh with vegenaise, but I don't heat it. I do chill it after everything is mixed.

[Ms_Derious]

See, I've had store bought tempeh, and that had the weird, slightly cheesy taste to it (which I actually didn't like, even though I was a cheese freak pre-vegan) but fresh homemade stuff, very different. I found the homemade stuff much nicer, almost nutty.

It it, however, far too much work to make regularly!