Tempe: A traditional fermented food of Indonesia and its health benefits

Tempe is a traditional fermented product that originated in Indonesia. The Indonesian has consumed tempe for a long time as an affordable and cheap protein source. It plays an essential role in Javanese societies and is usually served at cultural and religious ceremonies. Tempe is generally made from soybean that undergoes fermentation by Rhizopus spp. The processing of tempe making involves several steps such as dehulling, soaking, boiling, inoculating with starter, and incubating at room temperature. Generally, soybean is the most common material for making tempe. However, in certain region of Indonesia, other legumes and coconut waste have been utilized as a substrate for tempe making. These variations influence the ways of cooking and create authentic tempe recipes in the region. Tempe has been regarded as a superfood, containing not only nutritional contents but also some bioactive compounds. This review reported the origin of tempe history and the processing of tempe from historical, processing and nutritional perspectives, and how they influence the development of the various types of tempe, derived culinary products, nutritional content and beneficial effects of tempe consumption.