From the lower classes, TEMPE lifted into the belle of nutrient-rich foods. Various kinds of content in TEMPE have medicinal value, such as antibiotics to cure the infection and antioxidant prevention of degenerative diseases (Made Astawan, Department of Food Science and Technology, IPB).
The first reference found on soybean in 1875. Even in the manuscripts have been found Centini fiber tempe said. This shows that this traditional food has been known since many centuries ago, especially in order to eat the Javanese culture, particularly in Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Furthermore, the technique of making TEMPE spread throughout Indonesia, in line with the spread of the Javanese people who migrate to all parts of the country.
Currently, Tempe has been expanded to five continents. Through The Netherlands, Tempe has been popular in Europe since 1946. In 1984 already 18 companies listed TEMPE in Europe, 53 in America, and 8 in Japan. In some other countries, like China, India, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Canada, Australia, Latin America, and Africa, TEMPE is becoming known, although still in limited circles.
Indonesia is the country’s largest soybean producer in the world and become the largest soybean market in Asia. Some 50 percent of Indonesian soy consumption takes the form of Tempe, 40 percent know, and 10 percent in other products (such as tauco, soy sauce, etc.). Tempe consumption average per person per year in Indonesia is currently expected around 6.45 kg. Attention is so great to actually TEMPE has started since the time of Japanese occupation in Indonesia. At that time, the prisoners of war who were fed TEMPE spared from dysentery and malnutrition. It is now known that traditional foods TEMPE as an opportunity and potential to be used against free radicals, which can inhibit the aging process and prevent the occurrence of degenerative disease (atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, etc.). In addition, Tempe has also been known to contain antibacterial agents that cause diarrhea, lowering blood cholesterol, preventing heart disease, hypertension, and others.
Nutrient composition of TEMPE good protein content, fat, and carbohydrate did not change much compared with soybean. However, due to a digestive enzyme produced by fungi Tempe, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in Tempe to be more easily digested in the body than those contained in soy. Therefore, TEMPE is very good to be given to all age groups (from infants to the elderly), so that could be called the food of all ages. Compared to soy, there are some things that benefit in Tempe. Chemically it can be seen from the rising levels of dissolved solids, dissolved nitrogen, free amino acids, free fatty acids, the digestibility, protein efficiency values, as well as score the protein.
Some studies indicate that nutrients more easily digested TEMPE, absorbed, and utilized the body than the one in soybean. It has been demonstrated in infants and children under five malnutrition and chronic diarrhea. With the provision of TEMPE, the growth of body weight will increase malnutrition and diarrhea are healed in a short time. Processing soybeans into TEMPE will reduce levels of raffinosa and stakiosa, namely a compound flatulensi cause of symptoms (abdominal bloating). High nutritional quality that allows the addition of TEMPE TEMPE to improve the quality of cereals and tubers. Daily food dish consisting of rice, corn, or tiwul will increase the quality of nutrition when added TEMPE. A piece of fried tempe (50 grams) is sufficient to improve the nutritional quality of 200 grams of rice. Foodstuffs-TEMPE mixture of rice, corn, soybean, cassava, soybean, in the ratio 7:3, were good enough to be given to children under five.
During tempe fermentation process, there is a tendency to an increase in the degree ketidakjenuhan against fat. Thus, multiple unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA = polyunsaturated fatty acids) increased in number. In the process palmitic acid and linoleic acid decreased slightly, while the increase occurred in oleic and linolenic fatty acid (linolenic acid is not present in soy). Unsaturated fatty acids have a lowering effect on serum cholesterol content, which can neutralize the negative effects of sterols in the body. Two groups of vitamins contained in Tempe, which is water soluble (vitamin B complex) and fat soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K). Tempe is a source of vitamin B with huge potential. Type of vitamins contained in Tempe, including vitamin B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), pantothenic acid, nicotinic acid (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 (cyanocobalamin). Vitamin B12 activity increased to 33 times during fermentation, up about 8-47 times riboflavin, pyridoxine 4-14 times, 2-5 times niacin, biotin 2-3 times, 4-5 times folic acid, pantothenic acid and 2-fold. Vitamin B12 The most striking increase in the manufacture of TEMPE, so the only potential source of vitamins from vegetable foodstuffs.
This vitamin is not produced by the TEMPE mold, but by bacterial contaminants such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Citrobacter freundii. The presence of vitamin B12 in TEMPE is very special. Vitamin B12 is commonly found in animal products, but not found in plant foods (vegetables, fruits, and grains). Vitamin B12 is needed in the formation of red blood cells. Lack of this vitamin results in pernicious anemia. Symptoms of this disorder is a pale, abdominal pain, and weight decrease. Levels of vitamin B12 in TEMPE ranges from 1.5 to 6.3 micrograms per 100 grams of dried TEMPE. This amount has to fulfill a requirement of vitamin B12 per day.
With the presence of vitamin B12 in TEMPE, vegetarians should not feel worried about the lack of vitamin B12, as long as they involve the TEMPE in the daily menu. Tempe not only as a source of protein, but also contain macro and micro minerals in sufficient quantities. TEMPE molds can produce phytase enzyme which will describe the phytic acid (which binds several minerals) to phosphorus and inositol. With terurainya phytic acid, certain minerals (like iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc) become more available to be utilized the body. Total minerals iron, copper, and zinc, respectively 9.39, 2.87, and 8.05 mg per 100 grams TEMPE. By eating TEMPE regularly will prevent someone from anemia due to nutritional iron deficiency.
In the Tempe antioxidant also found a substance in the form of isoflavones. Like vitamins C, E, and carotenoids, isoflavones also is an antioxidant that is needed by the body to stop the reaction of free radical formation. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that have one or more unpaired electrons, so it is very reactive and can cause tumors, cancer, aging, and cell death. Free radicals can be derived from everyday foods we eat or reactions that occur in the body. The presence of antioxidants in the diet will prevent the formation of free radicals. In soybean there are three types of isoflavones, namely daidzein, glisitein, and genistein. In Tempe, in addition to the three types of isoflavones are also contained an antioxidant factor II (6,7,4 trihidroksi isoflavones) that have the most powerful antioxidant properties compared with the isoflavones in soy. These antioxidants are synthesized at the time the fermentation process soybeans into soybean by bacteria Micrococcus luteus and Coreyne bacterium. Research conducted at the University of North Carolina, United States, found that genestein and phytoestrogens found in soybean was able to prevent prostate and breast cancer. Aging (aging) is a process that normally occurs in the body. The aging process is influenced by various factors, namely nutrition, free radicals, the immune system, and so forth. The aging process can be inhibited if the food consumed daily contain enough antioxidants. Given the TEMPE is a good source of antioxidants, consumption in sufficient quantities on a regular basis can prevent premature aging. So we can say that eating tempe making ageless.
