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.