Word spreads about Malang's tempeh steaks

Word spreads about Malang's tempeh steaks

MALANG, East Java (Antara): Tempeh is not merely about chips anymore. The fermented soybean cake, the favorite food of many vegetarians, is being shaped into steaks and dim sum by producers in Malang.

Word of the tasty fare has spread and Malang tempeh steaks are gaining a reputation in Bali and Jakarta.

"Apart from making tempeh which is sold in the market, since the middle of last year the tempeh producers in Malang have been striving to diversify our tempeh products in different forms, such as steaks, beef steaks and dim sum so we can enter markets outside this area," said tempeh seller Mustakim in Malang last Saturday.

He said the effort was already being received positively by partners in Jakarta and Bali who would order up to a week's worth of production.

The plan has led 30 tempeh sellers, based in Sanan subdistrict, to increase their production to meet the market demand -- and they have also succeeded in augmenting their daily earnings.

"We used to procure less than a quintal of soya for our production, but now we need 1.5 quintals every day. Since then, we have been able to make about Rp 100,000 per day. It's not like before when we only made from Rp 30,000 to Rp 50,000 daily," he added.

Without mentioning names of the group's partners, Mustakim said he was informed they also experienced a 30 percent rise in sales once they began selling the meat-free "steaks" in Bali and Jakarta. With fears growing about mad cow disease around the world, the tempeh steaks may win a place at the table for many former meat lovers now afraid to eat the real stuff.