Tamaki Abe is one of a growing number of Japanese who recently fell in love with tempeh, the fermented soy-based Indonesian dish. It did not register much when she first savored it for the first time years ago, but she came to like it in the past several months as she started to be aware how it matches with spices that are popular with Japanese culinary fans, especially curry.

“It tastes so delicious in teriyaki sauce”, the Kyoto-based vegetarian in her forties told The Jakarta Post. She gained a greater appetite for tempeh as she became aware of the rich nutrition including Vitamin B12.

Like other imported dishes, tempeh is evolving in its own unique way in Japan, or more precisely, in Nagano, northwest of Tokyo.

Last December, Akiyoshi Otomo, 45, and his wife opened Tempeh Kitchen, a tempeh bento shop. Their lineup includes mapo tofu, teriyaki and lo bah png – main bento dishes uniquely mixed with tempeh.

“I wanted to introduce tempeh to people’s palates”, Otomo said.

Like Abe, his fondness for tempeh has grown over time. He previously worked as a logistics consultant in Tokyo, but at the age of 35, he suffered a stroke and then became more health-conscious. That was when he encountered homemade garlic-soy karaage-like tempeh cooked by one of his mountain-climbing friends.

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