Our research team has developed a new tempeh prototype with butterfly pea and cricket powders added to the fermentation process.

Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian fermented food, made by fermenting boiled soya beans with tempeh bacteria (genus Rhizopus). It has a delicious, unctuous flavour and is becoming increasingly popular in Japan.

Tempeh is not only tasty but also nutritionally superior. It is rich in protein, fibre and essential amino acids, has a lower environmental impact than meat production and is a food for Planetary health.

This time, the success of Green Tempeh, which is already distributed in South-East Asia, was the catalyst.

A new tempeh is being developed as a prototype. Green tempeh is tempeh prepared by adding euglena powder to the fermentation process, which has been found to increase the ergothioneine content of the antioxidant component and improve the flavour. This type of fermentation in which euglena powder is added to increase added value is named 'green fermentation'.

In this trial, the possibility of incorporating other biological powders into the fermentation stage of tempeh to bring new added value was tested. Tempeh with cricket powder added a savoury flavour, while tempeh with butterfly peas took on a bright blue colour. It was also suggested that the addition of cricket powder to tempeh fermentation could stimulate the growth of tempeh (as a potential fermentation aid), although this cannot be confirmed at this stage.

In the future, we will conduct functional analysis and sensory tests to explore added value beyond taste and appearance. We are committed to further challenging research to realise our goal of sustainable food innovation and planetary health!