Caramelized Tempeh Shawarma: VT Tuesday

The first time I drank fresh soy milk, I was amazed.  “It tastes like edamame,” I marveled.  Of course it tasted like soybeans.  Why wouldn’t it taste like soybeans? Yet, soy milks sold commercially in the US aim to somewhat duplicate the flavor of cow’s milk.  Expectations mean a lot when it comes to a food being palatable or not.  It’s sort of like when you set down your apple juice on the table, go back to drink it, and mistakenly pick up and sip your husband’s grapefruit juice instead.  The immediate reaction is a bad one.  Why?  That’s not the flavor you were expecting.  So since most Americans aren’t looking for a bean-y tasting milk, marketers don’t think an authentic soymilk would appeal to them. 

I think this can be a reason why some people aren’t immediately drawn to foods like tofu or tempeh.  They expect them to taste like meat because of their place in the meal and because they are high in protein and iron.  However, in places where people have been eating tofu and tempeh for centuries, tempeh and tofu are no more meat replacements than a red bell pepper would be a tomato replacement.  They’re different foods.  If I substituted broccoli in a recipe that called for asparagus, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to say afterwards that it lacked something because of its broccoli-like flavor.  Of course, it tasted like broccoli.  When I sit down to eat wine marinated tofu, I don’t expect or want it to taste or feel like chicken’s breast.  I want it to be tofu. 

Although it’s not widely popular in the States, tempeh has been a staple food in Indonesia for over 2,000 years.  It’s similar to tofu, in that it is made from soybeans.  Tempeh is a fermented food that is often cured with grains.  It has a nutty flavor and a wonderfully chewy texture.  It’s great steamed and then marinated and used as a main course or sandwich filling.  Today for Vegan Table Tuesday, I made the Caramelized Tempeh Shawarma.  Colleen invites readers to think of this dish as “Middle Eastern burritos.”  In addition to the sweet and salty tempeh, lavash bread is filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and parsley.  It’s then topped with a tahini sauce that is also fantastic to use as a salad dressing.  I served the filling and flavorful shawarma with potatoes roasted in lemon juice and garlic.