Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese, is an inovative creation food of Javanese people that made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. It is especially popular on the island of Java, where it is a staple source of protein. Like tofu, tempe is made from soybeans, but tempe is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempe's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fibre and vitamins. Tempe is very nutritive and contains many health ingredients. It has many health benefits such as strengthen bones, help to ease menopause symptoms, reduce risk of coronary hearth disease and some cancers. Soya has actually been shown to contain nutrients that have a positive effect on both cholesterol and the potential cancer creating toxins in our bodies. Tempe maintains all the fibre of the beans and gains some digestive benefits from the enzymes created duringthe fermentation process.
Because of its nutritional value, tempe is used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine; some consider it to be a meat analogue. Even long before Westerners found and realized its rich nutritional value, tempe was referred to as “Javanese meat.”
The problem if you live abroad like me is the lack of people selling it. And the only way to have Tempe in your dining table is by making it by yourself.
Making tempe is easy, but there are some issues that could make your effort failure, especially if you live in 4 seasons country. The basic problems are such as the unstable temperature, cleanness, wrong measurement of tempe starter (ragi tempe).Fortunately after few times trial and error, now I always success make Tempe.
Here I explain step by step how to make tempe from 100% soy.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The three important parameters in making Tempeare:
1. moist or water content
2. Tempe starter (ragi tempe) or inoculum Tempe
3. Incubating temperatures
The moist or water content of substrate
Practically all seeds such as rice, beans, peas, oat, and others can be made Tempe. Each gives a different taste. Each takes a different period of time in boiling to get ready for inoculation. Soybeans, the main and most common stuff for Tempe takes 45 to 60 minutes, but most peas take fifteen to twenty minutes. After dehulling, soybeans need five to ten minutes of second boiling before being drained and spread drying on towels. Additional nuking and blowing are sometimes necessary. The difficult task is to gauge the dryness of the substrate. Too dry means slow or no growth of mycelium; too wet, however, results inmyceliolysis and rotting Tempe. Fortunately, the margin of safety is wide enough.
Tempe starter (ragi tempe) or Inoculum Tempe
Using too much and insufficient amount of starter result in myceliolysis or rotting Tempe. The safest way is just following the recommendation of the makers of the starter. Using home made starter needs lots patience in trial and error.
Incubating temperatures
For the first ten hours, incubating at 31 to 33 C or 88 to 91 F is safe. For the next six hours, temperatures around 28 C or 82 F are good. As soon as the substrate starts generating its own heat (the temperature inside the incubator begins to rise) or some condensation starts, the heating source should be removed. Rhizopus keeps on growing at temperatures below 20 C or 64 F, but it grows at slower pace. Generally, Tempe matures in 24 to 30 hours.
The speed of fermentation is determined by incubation temperature. Incubation temperatures above 40 degrees C and above 25 degrees C will not produce good Tempe. A temperature of 37 - 38 degrees C will produce Tempe within 22h; a temperature of 28-30 degrees C will take up to 48 h to produce Tempe.
1. moist or water content
2. Tempe starter (ragi tempe) or inoculum Tempe
3. Incubating temperatures
The moist or water content of substrate
Practically all seeds such as rice, beans, peas, oat, and others can be made Tempe. Each gives a different taste. Each takes a different period of time in boiling to get ready for inoculation. Soybeans, the main and most common stuff for Tempe takes 45 to 60 minutes, but most peas take fifteen to twenty minutes. After dehulling, soybeans need five to ten minutes of second boiling before being drained and spread drying on towels. Additional nuking and blowing are sometimes necessary. The difficult task is to gauge the dryness of the substrate. Too dry means slow or no growth of mycelium; too wet, however, results inmyceliolysis and rotting Tempe. Fortunately, the margin of safety is wide enough.
Tempe starter (ragi tempe) or Inoculum Tempe
Using too much and insufficient amount of starter result in myceliolysis or rotting Tempe. The safest way is just following the recommendation of the makers of the starter. Using home made starter needs lots patience in trial and error.
Incubating temperatures
For the first ten hours, incubating at 31 to 33 C or 88 to 91 F is safe. For the next six hours, temperatures around 28 C or 82 F are good. As soon as the substrate starts generating its own heat (the temperature inside the incubator begins to rise) or some condensation starts, the heating source should be removed. Rhizopus keeps on growing at temperatures below 20 C or 64 F, but it grows at slower pace. Generally, Tempe matures in 24 to 30 hours.
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