Is tempeh really 'cheap and smelly'?<\/p>\n
According to Australian-trained tempeh expert Professor Tri
\nSusanto of Malang's Brawijaya University, Indonesia's first
\npresident Sukarno once derided his country folk as "a tempeh race
\nof people -- soft and smelly."<\/p>\n
"Unfortunately, tempeh has long been associated with poverty
\nand villagers, a cheap food for people who cannot afford meat,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
That is certainly not the situation now, particularly in the
\nWest where soy products are seen as wonder foods.<\/p>\n
Tempe is made in Japan and there are reports of American
\nstores selling tempeh burgers. There's even a tempeh ice cream.
\nHowever the food is little known elsewhere outside Indonesia.<\/p>\n
When Professor Susanto was studying fermented bean products at
\nthe University of New South Wales he made tempeh in the
\nlaboratory for his Indonesian colleagues hungry for their
\nfavorite food.<\/p>\n
The food may be healthy, but the conditions under which it's
\nmade are far from the standards demanded by fastidious
\nWesterners. In Malang about 500 home industries have formed a
\ncooperative to lift quality and market their products.<\/p>\n
A typical kampong operation involves mum, dad and the kids de-
\nhusking and boiling the beans.<\/p>\n
The de-husking used to be done by treading with bare feet but
\nmost families now use a machine sold by the coop, which is also
\nencouraging the use of stainless steel containers.<\/p>\n
Squashing beans between hibiscus leaves makes the fermenting
\nagent, or mold. This is added to the boiled beans. The mixture is
\nthen drained, put in shallow wooden trays and covered by pinholed
\nplastic.<\/p>\n
If the room is dark, well aired and the temperature right
\n(Malang has an ideal climate of 25 degree to 30 degrees Celsius)
\nthe magic of incubation starts. Two days later, the beans have
\nturned into a cheese-like cake ready for slicing and sale.<\/p>\n
Most people in East Java buy tempeh fresh from daybreak
\nvegetable sellers who get their supplies transported from Malang
\novernight. The scarcity of refrigerated transport is another
\nimpediment to industry growth.<\/p>\n
Professor Susanto stressed that the mold was not a bacteria.
\nWhile it was possible to make bad tempeh by prolonging or
\nspeeding fermentation the chance of illness was "less than 0.01
\nper cent," he said.<\/p>\n
How can the first-time buyer spot "good tempeh"? A quality
\nproduct won't crumble when cut and the beans bond well. If the
\nmycelium (the creamy-white substance that covers the beans) has
\nturned black, this is a sign of overfermentation.<\/p>\n
(Duncan Graham)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/is-tempeh-really-cheap-and-smelly-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }