Swedish Startup Develops Split Pea-Based Vegan Tempeh Meat

Swedish startup Swedish Temptations recently developed new meat alternative BÄRTA. The product is made with a new type of tempeh, a fermented product that the company made from sprouted split peas instead of soy. Founder Pia Qvarnström explained to Foodnavigator that BÄRTA is different in both texture and flavor to soy-based tempeh and is juicier, making it a more viable meat alternative. “We do as little as possible with it. We just let the natural processes ‘have [their] way’ with the split pea, and we use the whole pea—it’s not made from isolate, it’s just peas, with the hull and everything,” Qvarnström said. “It’s very different from ‘beyond meats.’ We are not trying to imitate meat.” Qvarnström developed the prototype for BÄRTA—which she says is more environmentally friendly to produce than soy—when she operated a local food truck that focused on fermented foods. “We hope to be part of [a movement towards] helping people around the world transition to a healthier and more sustainable diet,” Qvarnström said.