I finally got a chance to try the new soy-free hemp tofu from Tempt.
Soy gets a bad rep in the food world, and not all of it is deserved. My friend Tanya Sitton did a great piece on soy and health for Eat Drink Better, and I hope you'll give it a read. She looks at some of the critiques about soy and does some good, old-fashion debunking.
Soy-free tofu is something I've been interested in for a long time. Ever since making tofu with my girlfriends, I've wondered about making it from beans other than soy.
More about tofu: Making Tofu from Scratch, Chickpea-Based Tofu Alternative
I don't think that soy deserves the vitriol it gets in the media, but I'm partial to the idea of "everything in moderation." The thing is, I'm also partial to tofu. Dave and I probably go through three to five blocks of the stuff every week, and now that Darrol is doing finger food, we buy even more. Cubed tofu is one of my little guy's favorite things!
Hemp Tofu Review
I bought the Chimichurri seasoned Hemp Tofu from Tempt, and to test it out I had it for lunch. I prepared it super simply, just like I would a soy-based seasoned tofu: sliced into pieces with a side of Sriracha-avocado salad.
You guys, I wanted so badly to try this and fall instantly in love. I love tofu, and I love hemp's nutritional superpowers. I had visions of stir fries running through my head. Tempt's hemp tofu was kind of a let-down, though.
I think that calling this product tofu does it a disservice. It's texturally a lot more like tempeh, but I think calling it a mini hemp loaf would be more accurate. It has a grainy texture that I wouldn't have minded if I hadn't been expecting smooth, creamy tofu.
Wondering what gellan gum is? Read my piece on that ingredient at Eat Drink Better!
My friend Elena from Vegan ESP commented on Facebook when I mentioned picking up this tofu. She said she'd tried a different variety, and found it bland. I thought the chimichurri flavor was pretty nonexistant in the block that I picked up. It tasted a lot better after I doused it in balsamic vinegar and nooch:
Honestly, I'm not sure that I'd buy hemp tofu again. It's kind of pricey, and I'm not worried enough about the amount of tofu that I'm eating right now to replace it with something that I don't like as much.
Have any of you guys tried Tempt's Hemp Tofu? Did you like it? How did you prepare it?
jak
where may I purchase hemp tofu in theU.K. please
Becky Striepe
Ooh that is a good question. I checked the Tempt website, but they don't seem to have a store locator. You might try reaching out to them to see if they stock at stores in the UK!
Leni
I used Tempt hemp tofu in miso soup. Gak! It dissolved into tiny particles and turned the soup gelatinous. It sounds like folks have had luck with other recipes, but leave it outta your miso soup!!
Becky Striepe
That is good to know, Leni! I haven't bought it since that initial taste test lol
Diane
I tossed cubes in nutritional yeast garlic salt and olive oil and air fried it
Cut up and put on riced sweet potatoe
It was yum! The sweetness went well with it! I ate the whole block
Becky Striepe
Ooh I should try it with nooch!
Roisin (Dolores) Grant
This is really good. It is advised to boil it first for a short period to take away the bitter taste. I do and works. I love this hempeh. Much better than the soy versions. I cook different ways and add different flavors.. I love it. just wish it was cheaper
Heather
I just tried it. Its aweful. I was going to make it in a pot pie. I opened the package and it smelled so bad. I thought i would see if it would be better fried. No. The texture is also unreliable.
I personally Have lots of uses for tempeh but my kids have always hated it and I think of it as the liver alternative for vegans.
The hemp tofu is worse. Like the foi gras or haggis or monkey brains alternative for vegans.
Yish
Lmfao. Yes! This review is spot on.
Phyllis Murray
Just tried it, and am still trying to get the stink out of my apartment with open windows, fans, and various sprays. Freshly opened it smells like a very rotten dead fish. Cooked, it tastes like not very fresh fish. I bundled the cooked "tofu" and everything it had touched in a plastic bag and threw it down the trash chute. I will be surprised if my neighbors don't try to get me evicted, and I certainly couldn't blame them.
Becky Striepe
Hmm. I wasn't a fan of the hemp tofu, but dead fish smell makes me think that you got a package that was spoiled. You might bring the packaging back to the store for a refund! I'm so sorry that happened to you. I recently got a block of spoiled regular tofu, and the stench was horrific.
kate
samesies. dry heaved.
kate
see my post from a month or two ago...it smelled like giardia diarrhea!
Becky Striepe
Oh nooooo!
sarah
It is perfect as a Tofu Scramble! Season with Nooch, garlic, paprika, mustard powder and kala namak. I usually add onions and peppers as well!
Becky Striepe
Ooh I will try this!
GeeGee
The Original Tempt Tofu has an awful smell while cooking, smells so horrible you dare NOT to even taste it. However, i love Living Harvest Products, just not sure what went wrong with this product. Rotten, foul, fishy, sour, yuk!!!!
Kate
This happened to me too. I opened the package and it smelled like Giardia diarrhea. (If you've ever worked with animals and had a dog with giardia, you'll know what I mean.) I dry heaved. I put it in a ziploc and returned it to the store. The clerk taking my return said he could smell it through the bag!
Ezekiel Walker
I started to sauté the hemp-tofu with mushrooms and onions. That didn't work. The best optio was to turn it into a stroganoff! I added some miso, diluted with water. I'm working on perfecting the dish but in the end I was pretty satisfied.
Becky Striepe
Oh nice! So you crumbled it? Smart move!
Amelia
Would you mind sharing this recipe?
Danielle
I love tofu but I have a soy sensitivity. I'm trying to go vegan but finding soy free vegan products is very, very difficult. I got excited when I saw this product while searching but after reading this review, I'll pass on it.
Becky Striepe
I'm sorry to hear it! Can you do gluten? I also love tofu, and seitan is my other favorite vegan protein.