Fresh Tempeh

Tempeh is a type of food made of soybean. It’s not yet popular world wide, but its getting there… slowly, just like the Javanese saying, “alon alon asal kelakon” (slowly but surely”).

Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans and  is formed into a patty, packed into cakes and fermented by special micro-organisms, in this case a fungus. Originally tempeh as a dish was first recognise in Java Island (today’s Indonesia) during  the 12th to 13th century.

Tempeh is bitter until it’s cooked, though you may eat it raw, but it may have a bitter taste if taken straight out of the package. To really enjoy Tempeh you  can grill it, fry it or stir fry together with  your choice of vegetables.

If you have the chance to visit Indonesia you will notice the different types of serving Tempe as a meal. Tempe is also used as part of the many dishes to dress up Nasi Tumpeng.

Tempe has other properties too, such as the study from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia shows  some fascinating results about the bio-availability of calcium from Tempeh. In this study involving postmenopausal women, calcium from Tempeh was determined to be as equally well absorbed as calcium from cow’s milk. Due to the higher concentrations of calcium in cow’s milk versus Tempeh, however, four servings of Tempeh were needed to bring the total amount of calcium absorbed from Tempeh up to the same level as the total amount of calcium absorbed from fresh cow’s milk. The finding made Tempeh as one of the healthiest foods.

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In the UK, only less than a dozen Tempeh producer can be found. However the Bristol Indonesian Society is very proud to present a  home base Tempe producer from Southampton:”Warung Tempeh Betawi” .

Maria Dobbin owner of  “Warung Tempeh Betawi” has been in the UK since 2003 . She will be selling her fresh products of Tempeh as well as  Laksa Bogor, Lontong Sayur, Dadar Gulung, and other Indonesian delicacies at the Indonesian Iconic Dishes  and Folktales, Bristol on the 7th of May at Trinity Center.  So do not miss this opportunity!!

For more details of her Tempe products please visit her Facebook page: Fresh Tempeh.