Saturday Farmers’ Market Vendor Feature: Tempea

This week, we are featuring Tempea, a local company that makes the freshest tempeh in town! Stop by this Saturday to try their product, and check out their non-soy tempeh made from chickpeas and lentils. We had the chance to ask Ariela, a Tempea co-founder, some questions at the last market they attended and this is what we learned about the company:

What is the product you’re selling, and what is it made of?

We sell tempeh, which is traditionally made from fermented soybean, and this product originates from Indonesia. The way people eat it is very similar to tofu- it comes in a block, you can cut it up and cook it any way that you want. It’s a great source of protein and fiber and we have a non-soy version which is chickpea and lentil, and I think this is one of the things that makes us different. Not only do we make non-soy tempeh, but we also make tempeh that is not pasteurized or marinated so people can get it fresh and marinate it in any way that they want to.

Can you tell me about the variety of the tempeh you sell?

Right now we only have our soy and chickpea-lentil options, but we are always playing around with our different types. We just sold out of our lima bean, which was very popular and last summer we had a “black-eyed pea.” We are going to try to launch another variety this summer, but my lips are sealed for now!

Why is the name “Tempea”?

We were students in BCIT and Andrew and I had a final project for our product development class. So, we developed a product made using chickpeas, lentils, and dried beans. Andrew, who grew up in Indonesia, was very familiar with tempeh so he said: “why not make tempeh from chickpeas?” Because we used chickpeas, and we made tempeh, we thought we’d call it Tempea and it took off!

What is your favorite way to eat tempeh?

Personally, I prefer soy tempeh because it is milder and nuttier. I just do a quick marinade with soy sauce and tamari with lots of garlic and lime juice. If you pan-fry it with coconut oil that adds even more nuttiness and I just eat it with rice.

Can recipes be found on your website?

Yes, we have tons of recipes online! Last summer we even did a tempeh with fiddleheads dish. We try to encourage people to cook seasonally- so what they can find at markets, or whatever is local. We had a customer at today’s market that really liked the risotto recipe, and I told her to try with some morel mushrooms because it’s really really good! There are numerous recipes on our websites and so many ways to cook tempeh.

What is the strangest tempeh recipe you’ve come across?

One of the most creative uses I’ve seen was a tempeh meatball. You freeze it a bit and then run it through a cheese grater to get a minced meat kind of texture.

Where can customers find your product outside of the UBC Farmers’ Market?

We rotate regularly to various farmers’ markets. Tempea can also be found in various local retailers, all of which are listed on our website.

Tempea can be found at the UBC Farm Saturday Farmers’ Market on the following dates: Jul 27 & Aug 10. For more information on Tempea, see the following links: Website | Facebook | Instagram.