Tempeh is a firm, sliceable cake of whole soybeans knitted together by the dense white mycelium of a Rhizopus mould — a traditional fermented food from Java, Indonesia, where it has been an everyday protein for centuries. Where tofu is smooth, bland curd, tempeh is chunky, nutty and mushroomy with a meaty, satisfying bite, and the fermentation lends a faint savoury-yeasty depth. It holds its shape on the grill and in the pan, browns beautifully, and soaks up marinades, making it one of the great plant proteins for cooks who want texture as well as nutrition.