Formulating vegetarian foods: the appearance of Mad Cow disease in North America adds impetus to a growing interest in vegetarian foods. Formulation tactics—whether to replicate meat's sensory qualities or to produce an eating experience that is satisfying without meat—are discussed

Prepared Foods, August, 2003 by Martha Porter

Tempeh is made by fermenting cooked, dehulled soybeans with a fungus (Rhizopus oligosporus) at a pH of 4.8 to 5.0. This transforms the beans into a solid cake and makes nutrients more bioavailable. Tempeh is higher in protein and fiber than tofu (Clute, Mitchell, 1999. "Breaking the Mold with Tempeh," Natural Foods Merchandiser, June).

Tempeh--with a yeasty, nutty flavor--is used extensively in Indonesian cuisine, usually with grains or vegetables. Some chefs prefer the texture of tempeh to tofu for use as a chicken substitute because it has more texture. Tempeh also can be marinated.

Wheat and Quorn Options

Seitan, or wheat gluten, has been used as a protein source in Asia for hundreds of years and is available commercially in the U.S. It is made of dough (flour and water), rinsed to remove the starch components. The texture is modified by the amount of water contained in the gluten mass and by the amount of kneading. Gluten, with more water and/or less kneading, is less dense and puffier. It is bland and light in color, which offers food formulators the options of coloring and flavoring. It has a fibrous nature and meat-like structure. When hydrated, it tears apart like chicken fiber.

Quorn is the processed cellular mass obtained from the filamentous fungus, Fusarium venenatum, mixed with a binder, usually egg white or whey protein. It has a meat-like bite, mild flavor and a fibrous structure that resembles chicken muscle tissue. It adds texture without a formulator needing to mask off-flavors. Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest--CSPI (Washington) has stirred controversy about its use. He has cited anecdotal evidence of consumers vomiting after ingesting Quorn and questions the labeling of the product as "mushroom" based. Although all mushrooms are fungi, not all fungi are mushrooms.

There are also true mushrooms with a meat-like texture and flavor that can be chopped and combined with cooked gains like brown or wild rice, bulgar wheat or roiled oats. There is little piece identity in this type of product. Other vegetable pieces can be included for interest (e.g., carrots or broccoli); flavor (e.g., onions or garlic) or for more complete nutrition (e.g., garbanzo beans and other legumes). Portabellas have been used to replace a meat patty in sandwiches.

Minor but Crucial Ingredients

Whatever a product's base ingredient, other ingredients are needed for a finished product. Each ingredient should be considered for the function delivered in the final food experience, and then a food science approach can be used to select the best ingredients for the job.

* Binders such as egg whites, tapioca starch, pectin, gums, wheat gluten, whey protein, and isolated soy protein can be used to retain moisture and fat and provide cohesion for the protein mass. Protein binders are useful with the vegetable- and grain-based products. Gums and starches may require specific hydration steps, and the order of ingredient addition often is important for an effective binding system.