Indonesian 'tempe' struggles to remove second-rate image

Indonesian 'tempe' struggles to remove second-rate image

By Sirikit Syah

SURABAYA (JP): There are hardly any Indonesians who have not
taste tempeh. Even those living in the jungles of Irian Jaya or
Kalimantan have consumed this food.

As long as there are Javanese people, who are said to be the
creators of tempeh, the production and distribution of this food
will continue.

What is so special about tempeh, a cheap and simple food made
with fermented soybeans? According to Tri Susanto, a professor in
food technology at the Agriculture Faculty of Brawijaya
University in Malang, East Java, tempeh is an original Indonesian
food which has many advantages.

"Tempeh adds amino acids, which are essential for the human
body, has antioxidant and antibacterial elements, and reduces
cholesterol," Susanto explained to The Jakarta Post, after a
ceremony to mark his promotion to professor at the university
last month.

In his scientific speech at the ceremony, he discussed
strategies to improve the image of tempeh as an Indonesian food.

Saddened by many young people being more inclined to consume
western fast food like burgers and fried chicken, Susanto has
become very active as a member of a Jakarta-based organization to
promote the consumption and development of tempeh.

He reminds people that popular western fast food lacks
nutritional balance, while tempeh is a health food.

Oldest

Tempeh processing could be the oldest food technology in the
history of Javanese people. Serat Centhini 12, a book published
in the 16th century, indicates that tempeh had been produced and
consumed by the time of its publication.

In Europe, tempeh is known through the Dutch who once
colonized Indonesia. In America, tempeh has been known since
1946. In Japan, Kiku Mirata, a professor at Osaka University, has
founded the Japanese Tempeh Society.

At the Soy-foods Center in California, U.S., there are 616
documents about tempeh. Some tempeh processing methods have been
patented in the United States and Japan, and 423 tempeh
commercial products have been identified.

There are about 100 companies in the U.S. and Europe producing
tempeh until the second stage of processing -- like tempeh-based
sausage, burgers and drinks. There are about 60 similar companies
in Japan, which no longer concentrate on first or second
generation tempeh products (like tempeh teriyaki), but now
develop the third generation (like tablets, biscuits, enzymes,
etc.).

In Indonesia, soybean consumption reaches 2 million tons per
year, 1.4 tons of it (70 percent) is grown domestically and the
rest is imported. Seventy percent is used for the production of
tempeh, tofu, ketchup, and other processed foods. In the last 10
years, tempeh consumption in the city and village has increased
from an average 0.075 kg/capita per week to 0.1 kg/capita per
week, an increase of 134 percent.

Tempeh is a health food which containing complete protein,
eight kinds of essential amino acids, antibiotic elements and
growth stimulation, is high in vitamin B12, and low in fat and
cholesterol. It is also easy to digest.

"Those who consume tempeh will look and stay younger and have
long lives," said Susanto.

Because researchers and food industries do not spend money on
promoting tempeh, the public is unaware of its benefits. Instead,
people tend to degrade the food with sayings like bangsa tempe or
mental tempe, meaning something bad, poor or cheap.

According to Susanto's research, there are too many standards
and procedures of tempeh production in Indonesia. The variations
make it difficult to develop the product into second or third
generation tempeh, which would give tenfold added value.

Susanto suggests a strategy of first strengthening the basic
domestic tempeh industry, especially raw material supply,
improvement of processing technology, and development of more and
better products.

"Tempeh crackers (kripik tempe) is a good example. But they
could be more durable, more practical, and more attractive," said
Susanto.

He hopes that young people like the traditional tempeh food
such as tempe mendo and tempe bacem, besides hamburgers and fried
chickens. But he feels it is more important to develop a passion
for tempeh in the young generation by producing the second and
third generation of tempeh -- which obviously looks more
interesting than the first generation.