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Tempeh, cassava 'the answer’ to staple-food insecurity
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Good nutrition: Medical doctor Miho Ota states in a journal published in 'Onkochishin' magazine that tempeh contains more dietary fiber than natto (Japanese traditional food made from fragmented soy) and is beneficial to help prevent life-style related diseases. (JP/Takehiro Masutomo) (JP/Takehiro Masutomo )
Food insecurity has become one of the most talked about issues on the global stage as the staple food supply chain continues to be disrupted by the war in Ukraine. Experts argue that tempeh and cassava could be the answer to the problem.
Speaking at the Global Food Security Forum, a Group of 20 Summit sideline event held by the United States think tank the Atlantic Council, Indonesian Tempe Movement cofounder Amadeus Driando Ahnan-Winarno said the fermented soybean block could help tackle food insecurity.
“In terms of nutrition, tempeh contains similar amounts of energy, protein and iron compared to beef. It has significantly higher levels of fiber and calcium and significantly lower levels of salt and saturated fat,” said Amadeus on Sunday.
Furthermore, tempeh could produce the same amount of protein as beef with four times less energy consumed and twelve times less emissions released, at an eight times cheaper price, which translates to a greener solution for food production.
Amadeus said that the food, which originated in Indonesia 300 years ago, was very versatile when it came to the basic ingredient, despite not many people knowing it.
Read also: Indonesian Icons: Tempeh the superfood and a link to Indonesia's past
“Tempeh is a fermentation process that we can apply to almost every grain except for legume beans. Here I have mombin tempeh, kidney bean tempeh, black bean tempeh and almond bean tempeh. It’s a process,” Amadeus said.
