Tempeh

Tempeh is a cake of fermented soybeans bound together by Rhizopus mold. Native to the island of Java in Indonesia, it is a staple source of plant protein there, and it differs from tofu in its firmer texture and earthier flavor.

History

Tradition places the first tempeh in Bayat, in Klaten, Central Java, around 1700, although the exact date is not firmly documented. Its discovery is usually attributed to a near accident: stored soybeans came into contact with a fungus that grows on teak and sea hibiscus leaves, which Javanese cooks often used as food wrappers. Traditional makers still use leaves covered in mycelium to inoculate the beans.

Originally, the beans used were the native black soybean. The arrival of imported white soybeans and the growth of the tofu industry changed the ingredients, and the black variety gradually lost its place. Outside Indonesia, tempeh spread slowly for a long time. The spelling with a final h became standard in English from the 1960s, and sales have grown recently in the United Kingdom and North America.

Culture

In Java, tempeh is everyday food of ordinary households rather than royal cuisine. It is often fried, as in tempe goreng, or coated in spices and sliced thin, as in tempe mendoan. Tempe bacem is simmered slowly with palm sugar and sweet spices, while orek tempe is stir-fried with sambal. Crisp tempeh snacks are also common.

Recipes vary. Traditionally, makers have fermented tofu residue, coconut pulp, or peanuts in similar ways, using different molds. Today tempeh is found across Southeast Asia and has become a regular part of vegetarian and vegan cooking elsewhere, valued as a protein alternative to meat.

Trivia