Tempeh

Also Called

tempe

Usage

as a culinary ingredient

Description

Tempeh is a fermented soybean product originating from Java, Indonesia. Its production principle bears some resemblance to Japanese natto: both involve the fermentation of whole soybeans—though tempeh involves an initial step of dehulling, resulting in semi-spherical soybean granules for fermentation, while natto ferments the full rounded beans; both undergo a single-stage fermentation process; and both require an extremely short fermentation period of 1 to 2 days to complete. However, the final apperance and flavors of the two products are vastly different: tempeh is characterized by tightly bound white mycelium threads and has a mushroom-like aroma, while natto features a sticky filamentous coating on the surface and has a pungent ammonia smell. These differences are attributed to the distinct microorganisms involved in the biochemical reactions during fermentation: tempeh is fermented by Rhizopus mold, whereas natto is fermented by a bacterium named Bacillus subtilis var. natto.