Tempeh

Tempeh is a firm, nutty-tasting fermented food made by binding cooked soybeans into a cake using a mould called Rhizopus, which grows and holds the beans together while enhancing their flavour and nutrition.

Common recipes

• Stir-fried tempeh
• Tempeh burgers or satay
• Often used as plant-based substitutes in traditional beef recipes

Historical background

Tempeh originated in Indonesia, and was commonly consumed as early as 1700.

How to make at home

Tools: Incubator or warm space (~30°C), perforated plastic bags

Ingredients: Soybeans, vinegar, Rhizopus oligosporus starter

Basic steps:

1. Cook and dehull soybeans thoroughly.
2. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar per 500 g soybeans to lower pH.
3. Maintain consistent warmth and airflow.

Is it easy to make at home?

Tempeh is an intermediate-difficult level of fermentation to try at home, especially considering the requirement for an incubator-type of unit, and the accessibility to the microbial starter.

Nutritional profiles & potential health benefits

Tempeh is a valuable source of plant-based protein, because during the fermentation process where the mould transforms soybeans, enzymes break down complex nutrients found in soybeans into simpler forms – making high protein and nutrient rich components more bioavailable (Teoh et al., 2024).

Eating tempeh has been linked to health benefits like “antidiabetic effects, cholesterol-lowering properties, improved cognitive function, antitumor and anticancer properties, anti-aging effects and improved gut health as well as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease” (Teoh et al., 2024).