'Tempe mendoan', an all-time favorite

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto, Central Java

Today's youth may favor pizzas or pretzels over Indonesian traditional snacks, but the Javanese tempe mendoan still holds a place in the hearts and bellies of many.

Here in Purwokerto regency, where tempe mendoan originates, people crowd the snack center on Jl. Sawangan, round the clock, particularly during holidays.

"When we come to Purwokerto, we always buy tempe mendoan. Our family loves it and we can't find any that taste like this in Jakarta," said Ibu Sumadi, 37, a housewife from Jakarta who married a native from Purwokerto.

"At first, my husband brought some tempe mendoan to let us try, and since then we have been almost addicted to the snack," she added.

Ibu Sumadi said that each time, she bought up to 30 packages of uncooked tempe mendoan, each containing two pieces, for her family and some friends. The snack is fried in hot cooking oil for a few minutes before serving.

Yuniarti, a local who works as a housemaid in Bandung, West Java, said that her employer always asked her to buy tempe mendoan whenever she returned to Bandung.

"They said the food is delicious and tasty," said the 20-year- old. "Actually you can buy tempe mendoan in Bandung, but it tastes quite different here," she added.

Like other tempeh, tempe mendoan is made from fermented beans. It is half-fried in flour that is mixed with chopped green onion. Mendo, is Javanese for "half-done."

What distinguishes it from regular tempeh is its thinness, at three millimeters, akin to a piece of paper. Its surface measures from 5 centimeters (cm) by 10 cm to 10 cm by 15 cm.

It is best to eat mendoan, a nickname for the snack, while it is still piping hot. People consume the snack in the afternoon or evening to accompany a cup of tea or coffee. Most have mendoan with cabe rawit (a small, but hot chili). In local parlance, the eating of snacks with chilies is called nyigit.

Besides mendoan, there is also kripik tempe or literally, tempeh crackers. It is a type of mendoan that is well-fried until crispy and can be stored for months. Purwokerto is also famous for its kripik tempe and therefore it is often referred to as kota kripik (cracker town).

During Ramadhan, until Idul Fitri, tempe mendoan vendors enjoy robust business. Many of their kiosks along Jl. Sawangan receive orders from people outside the city. Travelers heading for the nearby holiday resort of Baturaden also drop by for some mendoan and kripik.

"Many natives from Purwokerto who work in Jakarta buy a lot of mendoan when they return here," said Uswanda, 50, a vendor.

No wonder the sale of mendoan and kripik can rise threefold compared with normal days.

For example, the daily turnover for Uswanda is about Rp 3 million, with a profit of Rp 700,000. On normal days, he buys 100 kilograms (kg) of beans to make the snack.

"During the holiday season, when many people return home to celebrate Idul Fitri, our turnover can reach about Rp 150 million in 20 days," said Uswanda, who hires 20 people.

He sells a package containing two pieces of mendoan, measuring 10 cm by 15 cm for Rp 800. Hot, fried mendoan that is ready to eat is also available at Rp 700 apiece. As a bonus, those buying fried mendoan will get several hot, green chilies for nyigit.

Usually he gets through an average of six kg of chilies in a day, but during the holiday season, he has to add 20 kg to 30 kg.

"Once, I even used 100 kg of chilies in a single day," he said.

Making mendoan is not difficult, according to Uswanda.

The beans are washed clean and boiled for about four hours. Drain the beans until no water is left, then mix the beans with yeast.

Finally, the beans are wrapped in banana leaves in small packages. Usually, 100 kg of beans can produce 2,000 packages, each containing two pieces of mendoan. It takes about 12 hours for the fermentation process.

"If a fungus has grown all over the package, it means that the tempeh is ready," said Uswanda, a recipient of the Upakarti award from the government for his efforts in preserving mendoan as a traditional Purwokerto snack.