Surface Fermentation without Downstream Processing as a Strategy for the Development of Tempeh-Like Vegan Patties

Given the growing demand for meat analogues, interest in plant-based and fermentation-based products has risen. Therefore, this paper describes the development of “vegan patties” by surface cultivating the basidiomycete Pleurotus citrinopileatus on crushed wheat for 6 days at 24 °C under dark and static conditions. After mycelial development (without any residues or recovery/purification procedures), the resulting cohesive and fibrous product was further baked or fried. Unfermented or fermented patties, with or without baking or frying, were compared in terms of the protein content and protein quality. Fermentation (with or without further baking) changed the amino acid profile, significantly improving the essential amino acid index and biological value of crushed wheat. These results indicate that surface fermentation with basidiomycetes is a promising strategy for developing nutritious (vegan) meat analogues, particularly for avoiding the costly downstream processing.