TVP

[Schielke]

I currently have sitting in front of me a Little Cook TVP Curry Chicken Ramen Bowl.

Now, when I bought said bowl, it was on sale and I did not quite process the TVP in the label. If you dont know, TVP means Textured Vegetable Protein. It is truly disturbing.

The TVP resided in a package with the other curry contents that was refered to as the "Retort Pouch". When I opened the "Retort Pouch", I was greeted by horrid little grey blobs that were masquerading as meat. I ventured a taste and received a overwhelming blandness.

I will soon be throwing out this abomonation to food.

Is there any good use for TVP? Did I just come across a poor example of it? How is this stuff made, or do I want to know.

Gaah.

Ben

[vengroff]

TVP is made from soy. It is processed in such a way as to have a texture that is said to resemble meat. It can be found in meatless burgers, hot dogs, and the like.

In my opinion, if you don't want to eat meat, don't eat meat, but don't waste your time with the fake stuff. It's awful.

[torakris]

I am in complete agreement with Vengroff.

Why do people insist in using soy in such unnatural ways?

[Jinmyo]

Kibbles n bits.

Horrid stuff.

[Jason Perlow]

I am in complete agreement with Vengroff.

Why do people insist in using soy in such unnatural ways?

I dunno, is Tofu natural? Its still technically processed.

I vastly prefer extra firm pressed tofu and yuba skin to TVP though.

[indiagirl]

i guess, if cheese is natural, so is tofu.

and yes, i am excluding PCF (processed cheese food) from the cheese category!

:P

[DaveFaris]

I'm sure no one here would ever stoop so low as to even look at these items, let alone purchase them in the store, but if you've ever enjoyed prepared tomato sauce with meat, chef boyardee products (esp. beefaroni), canned chili, pre-made beef burritos -- most every processed food purporting to have meat -- you've enjoyed tvp.

[foodie52]

Ahhhh...quit being so pompous, you guys. Geez....

TVP has its place in the food world and you should respect that. It is vegetarian: anybody in any part of the world can eat it. It is full of protein. It is distributed to starving populations all over the world: people add their own spices and vegetable to it and it actually keeps them alive, which is a positive thing in this day and age.

So, although it is not a tasty product, you should respect it as FOOD.

So there....

[Jason Perlow]

FWIW, I actually like TVP when used as "vegetarian chicken" and "vegetarian pork" in vegetarian chinese dishes. Works especially well in Moo Shu Vegetarian Pork.

[DaveFaris]

I have to say, the extremely high snob factor of eGullet is a distinct turn-off lately. Being a gourmet is one thing, but it sometimes gets a little ridiculous around here.

TVP is low-fat, high in iron, protein, and fiber, zero cholesterol, and it costs half as much as a comparable amount of ground beef, and has zero chance of bacterial infection, like e-coli, etc.. It has the same mouthfeel as ground beef, and like tofu, it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. What's not to like?

Granted, I doubt the people eating it are struggling over the decision about what sort of wine to serve with it.

More Info

[jhlurie]

It [TVP] has the same mouthfeel as ground beef

That's debatable. In fact, that's MOST of the debate.

So, although it is not a tasty product, you should respect it as FOOD.

Of course. But acknowledging the fact that its helping the starving peoples of the world shouldn't be the same thing as putting up on the same pedestal as actual real dead animal flesh. What you seem to be asking is that we respect it as a source of nutrition, but the terms "food" and "nutrition" have always seemed to have slightly different definitions here.

Edited April 2, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[vengroff]

I don't think most of the posts here were saying there is no place for TVP. I think the point of the discussion is that if you are fortunate enough to have a choice there are tastier options out there. These include real meat or soy prepared in other ways.

Isn't the pursuit of tasty options the main point of most of the threads here on eGullet?

I'll look out for some TVP products next time I go to the supermarket, and given them another try.

[hjshorter]

I have to say, the extremely high snob factor of eGullet is a distinct turn-off lately. Being a gourmet is one thing, but it sometimes gets a little ridiculous around here.

If it will make you feel better, I will freely admit to enjoying Boca burgers, Boca "chicken nuggets," and Boca "crumbles." I have used the "crumbles" in chili, spaghetti sauce, etc. It's not meat, but it's not bad.

I also like Miracle Whip.

[Jim Dixon]

soylent green = TVP

One other thing it's sort of good for is backpacking food. We used to crumble chunks off of compressed bars of TVP into the one-pot dinners we'd make when far from the cooler-and-coleman comforts of car-camping.

When you're up at timberline under an amazing canopy of stars, it tastes pretty damn good.

Jim

[Schielke]

If it feeds the world, hey, that is great.

All I know is that what I saw sitting in my curry noodles was a terrible scourge against tastiness.

[foodie52]

Then your curry noodles must have been prepared improperly.

[Schielke]

What are some of the ways that you enjoy TVP?

Dont get me wrong, I am perfectly open to accepting it as something good to eat. If you look at my original post, I asked there was a good use for the stuff or if I ran across a poor example.

Do you look forward to a nice helping of TVP? How do you like to prepare it?

Ben

[MsRamsey]

FWIW, I actually like TVP when used as "vegetarian chicken" and "vegetarian pork" in vegetarian chinese dishes. Works especially well in Moo Shu Vegetarian Pork.

This is what Seattle vegetarian restaurant Bamboo Garden does, with nauseating results.

[Jason Perlow]

Its too bad, because when its done properly, I actually like it.

My guess is, theres probably different quality levels of TVP, especially what is used among different restaurants.

[Schielke]

Does anybody know what they do differently to it than other soy products? What kind of process is involved? Are there any artisnal TVP makers?

[Schielke]

Textured soy protein is made from defatted soy flour or soy protein concentrate that is compressed and extruded into granules or chunks.

[Schielke]

Ahh, I just found out that "Retort Packaging" is like a flexible way of "canning" goods.

It is used extensively in MREs for military use. Aparently Thai Chicken Curry Noodles are in the same vein...no wonder it tasted like ass.

From Howstuffworks.com:

MRE stands for "Meal, Ready-to-Eat." An MRE comes in a plastic pouch called retort packaging. The package is actually aluminum foil and plastic layered together.

[jjpuss]

Hi, I'm new here, but this is as good a place to start as any, I guess. I'm a non-veg married to a strict (ethical) vegetarian. I do most of the cooking at our house (he does the baking), and often employ TVP with pretty nice results that go toward satisfying cravings for meaty food. Since I know (and like) what meat tastes like, I won't settle for nasty, bland TVP preparations. It does take some doing to get TVP to taste like anything, and there are a few somewhat labor intensive tricks involved, including rinsing out the plastic-flavored soy starch, marinating in something hyper-tasty, using flavorful sauces, and making sure not to soak the well-flavored TVP in anything that will leach the flavor out of it.

Some of my favorite TVP dishes include a stew with large chunks of TVP "chicken", which also makes a nice potpie, and a country pate that employs crimini mushrooms, tofu, toasted pecans, pine nuts and TVP. Many non-veggies of my acquaintance eagerly scarf this stuff up, so it's not just me and veggie-husband that think it's good.

Yes, there are different varieties and quality levels of TVP. The easiest to come by is that crumbled stuff that people use in chili and other dishes requiring a generic hamburger texture. There are also lots of shapes and textures that range from little brown chewy "beef" slices to very tender "chicken" puffs. All of these come dried and need to be rehydrated and then they can be turned into food.

[torakris]

Ahh, I just found out that "Retort Packaging" is like a flexible way of "canning" goods.

It is used extensively in MREs for military use.  Aparently Thai Chicken Curry Noodles are in the same vein...no wonder it tasted like ass.

From Howstuffworks.com:

MRE stands for "Meal, Ready-to-Eat." An MRE comes in a plastic pouch called retort packaging. The package is actually aluminum foil and plastic layered together.

I quess I have been out of the US too long, do they not use retort packing there that much?

In Japan they use it for everything, glass and even cans are rarely used everything is retort, curry, stew, sauces, pasta sauces, baby food, etc.

Some of the stuff that comes out of it is decent too, no TVP though.

As part of my job as an Army food inspector I was required to taste close to experiation date MRE's, to see if they were still OK........

they did not pay me nearly enough!

[DaveFaris]

Well, first it has to be said that putting down TVP because it doesn't compare to real beef is as mistaken as putting down skim milk because it doesn't compare to whole milk. The health and other benefits of it should outweigh it's other inadaquacies.

I have a cookbook for all things TVP, and I've tried a few recipes. I admit that I haven't found a TVP recipe that's knocked my socks off.

As a carnivore, I think the best use of TVP is when you cut meat with it. A 50/50 mix of ground beef and TVP is half as loaded with fat, cholesterol, etc. as 100% beef.

TVP comes in different forms, including granules, flakes, and chunks up to 2 inches long. Whole Foods sells it by the pound in their bulk-foods section.

If you feel like experimenting, pick up some of the chunk or flaked TVP, and soak it in a flavorsome liquid for 5 or 10 minutes. (The cookbook I have uses the following quantities quite often -- 1 c. TVP flakes, 2 T ketchup, 1 c. hot water.) Then mix in with ground beef, and maybe make meatloaf or meatballs with it.

(Oh, and that retort packaging. I've had several indian vedgetable dishes packaged that way, and I thought they tasted fine.)