Tempeh Starters and Cultures Store.

Tempeh is a traditional soybean cake unique to Indonesia. Made by fermenting whole soybeans with a unique tempeh culture, the cake has a rich smoky flavor and nutty texture. A very good source of protein, tempeh is also an excellent source of vitamin B-12. 

Europeans have cheese, San Franciscans have sourdough bread -- Indonesians have TEMPEH, an everyday food made from fermenting soybeans in a plastic bag (or banana leaves) with yeast in a hot, humid room.

Typically you buy TEMPEH ready-made, even in Indonesia. And if you live there, buying it is like hunting for a loaf of bread; it is widely available, cheap, and most importantly, freshly produced. And since it has a savory taste and dense texture, it easily replaces meat which is typically very expensive.

Here in the U.S. however, you'd be hard pressed to find fresh TEMPEH anywhere. It's only available in a frozen state at Asian markets. These frozen blocks are a decent substitute, but only until you've had a freshly made batch of tempeh.

Whether you make your own tempeh or buy it frozen, you have a myriad of ways to prepare it. It can be used in stir fries, stews, or grilled like a hamburger patty. My favorite way is deep frying after marinating in mashed garlic and salt.

The flavor is probably unlike anything the western palate has tasted before. It is chunky, with an alarming soft pebbly texture. The flavor is meaty with a little bit of tartness -- somewhere between a ripe mushroom and tofu. When deep fried, the outer skin gets crunchy and harbors the full intensity of the seasonings you put into it.

Now you know what to look for! Tempeh and Starter are certainly not widely available...we can show you the way at Tempeh Online!