Comments on Jenn's review of Tempeh
The Good Kind of Soy Product
Most people in the US eat a lot of highly refined soy products and GM soy -- this is not the good kind of soy. Soy formula is also bad for infants - that can result in a lot of food allergies later in life. In fact, soy is one of the 9 most common food allergies (of all adults, everywhere).
The soy bean is actually most commonly used as livestock food. Most soy products consumed in the US are so over processed that the structure and benefits of the bean are way different from consuming it as a "primary" food. Excessive processing and refining changes the balance of nutrients and toxins -- and nobody was ever intended to eat 35 grams of soy protein in a shake (all but about 8 of those will just pass through your body).
As a primary food source -- that is, relatively unprocessed -- soy isn't a bad thing. Tempeh is a whole grain product made of fermented soybeans -- and other grains -- which is pressed into cakes. It has a firm texture and a nutty, mushroomy kind of flavor. It can be sliced, crumbled or chunked. I used tempeh in a delicious Wat during a cooking class at Millennium -- it tasted way better than the version made by the other group with lentils.
While you can make your own tempeh (see the link below), I certainly never have done so due to the limitations of my kitchen. I hate buying stuff sealed up in non-recyclable plastic but it seems a small compromise for tasty nutritious tempeh. I really like the "smoky tempeh strips" -- they are great for breakfast with potatoes and toast. They also make a great "Tempeh, Lettuce & Tomato" sandwich.
Make your own Tempeh: http://www.tempeh.info/
More info about Tempeh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh
"The Dark Side of Soy" http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/56087/
Soy Allergies: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/allerg/fa-aa/allergen_soy-soja_e.html
Jenn's keywords: soy protein, tempeh, primary food
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