Tempeh or tempe (/ˈtɛmpeɪ/; Javanese: ꦠꦺꦩ꧀ꦥꦺ, romanized: témpé, pronounced [tempe]) is a

traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans.[1] It is made by a natural culturing and
controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form.[2] A fungus, Rhizopus oligosporus
or Rhizopus oryzae, is used in the fermentation process and is also known as tempeh starter.

The term tempe Is thought to be derived from the Old Javanese tumpi, a whitish food made of fried
batter made from sago or rice flour which resembles rempeyek.[5] The historian Denys Lombard also
suggests that it could be linked to a later term tape or tapai which means ‘fermentation’.[6]

In the western world, tempeh is the most common spelling. This is done to prevent readers from
incorrectly pronouncing the word as “temp”. The first known usage of this spelling is in an 1896 German
article. Other spellings, such as témpé, were also used, but tempeh has become the standard spelling in
English since the 1960s.[7]

Murdijati Gardjito, a food historian at Gadjah Mada University, argued that tempeh was made by native
Javanese people, and that its preparation predates the introduction of Chinese-style tofu products.[12]
Some ancient texts mention tempe dhele, old Javanese for ‘native soybean tempeh’; dhele was used to
refer to the native soybean variety. White soybeans that are used to make most tempe dhele today used
to be called dhele putih (‘white soybeans’), and were only available in Java centuries later. Mary Astuti, a
food historian at Gadjah Mada University specializing in tempeh, argued that the native variety of
soybean had been grown before the Chinese arrived In the region.[6]

Sri Tandjung noted that Javanese had been eating cooked (native black) soybeans since the 12 th century.
By the 16th or the 19th century, depending on which period of time the writer of Serat Centhini referred
to, Javanese people had mastered the art of cooking with tempeh, where it was not only eaten as is, but
converted into different types of dishes, showing a full understanding and mastery of the food product.
[12]

Gardjito noted that Javanese noble families rarely wrote about tempeh in ancient texts because it had
never been a part of royal cuisine, but rather a staple meal of the lower classes.[12]

Chinese Indonesian historian Ong Hok Ham suggests that tempeh might have been produced as a
byproduct of tahu, the Indonesian word for tofu. He argued that the two food products are made of the
same ingredient and that genetically speaking, soybeans are from China, though the specific variety was
never mentioned. Food journalist Andreas Maryoto supported this idea, saying that tempeh might have
been accidentally produced as the by-product of the tofu industry in Java in the 17 th century, as
discarded soybeans caught the spores of a whitish fungus that was found to be edible.[6]
However, tahu was (and is still) made of white soybeans (Glycine max, native to Japan and China), as
opposed to the earliest version of tempe dhele that was made of native black soybeans (Glycine soja).
[10][6]

Tahu (tofu) made its way to Kediri in the 13 th century and was consumed by Mongolians who arrived in
Java. Later, it was popular only among the rich (the complex production process and imported white
soybeans led to its high price). Around the 17 th or 19th century, tahu became available to everyone.[11]

Tempeh later began to be made with white soybeans, leading to the decreased use of its native black
variety. Black soybeans have been replaced by other commodity plants since. The original version of
tempe dhele has been forgotten as tahu has since become the common people’s food, and dependence
on imported white soybeans grows.[13]

Tempeh begins with whole soybeans, which are softened by soaking, and dehulled, then partly cooked.
Specialty tempeh may be made from other types of beans, wheat, or may include a mixture of beans
and whole grains.[14] Adding vinegar during soybeans soaking process had also been reported in
tempeh industries and it had been found to influence the sensory nature of the final product.[15]

The principal step In making tempeh is the fermentation of soybeans which undergo inoculation with
Rhizopus spp. Molds, a type of filamentous fungus most widely used for the production of tempeh.[16] A
fermentation starter containing the spores of fungus Rhizopus oligosporus or Rhizopus oryzae Is mixed
in.[17] The beans are spread into a thin layer and are allowed to ferment for 24 to 36 hours at a
temperature around 30°C (86°F). The soybeans have to cool down to allow spore germination and
abundant growth of mycelium. Later, the temperature of the beans will naturally rise and rapid mold
growth happens for around 4 hours. As mold growth declines, the soybeans should be bound into a solid
mass by the mycelium. In good tempeh, the beans are knitted together by a mat of white mycelium.
Typically, tempeh is harvested after 48 hours of fermentation with its distinguishable whitish color, firm
texture, and nutty flavor. Extended fermentation time results in an increase in pH and undesirable color
darkening in the tempeh.[18]