T H E F ER M EN T ED B E A N S

O F MYA N M A R
A few years ago we were looking for a unique place to visit with our two youngest children before our
nest emptied completely, and we chose Myanmar. We were enchanted not only by the land but also
by the generosity and spirit of its people. From the first taxi ride in the middle of the night through
the streets of Yangon, we were greeted with warmth and an openness none of us had experienced
elsewhere. On our last night, our taxi driver wanted to take us by his home to meet his parents and see
“how the people of Myanmar live.” We had time, so we humbly accepted his invitation.
92
The busy streets of Yangon gave way to a maze plant more because the weather just kept get-
of clustered homes divided by a road hardly ting hotter; he said he didn’t understand why,
wider than the compact car we were squeezed but he knew he needed to plant trees for more
into. He brought us into a small, immaculately shade. It was all he could think to do. That was
swept yard and gave us plastic chairs to sit on. our last glimpse of Myanmar and its beautiful,
He wanted us to taste how his mother had pre- kind people.
pared the shrimp sour (a ferment he’d shown us Burmese cuisine, referred to as “Myanmar
the day before). It was delicious, and it was less food” by the local people, is rich with fer-
salty and much milder than any of us expected, ments, many of which are quite regional and
with none of the strong flavors we associate little known to the rest of the world. Once
with other fermented seafood products, like fish we decided we were going to Myanmar, we
sauce. For lack of a better comparison, its sour- researched its ferments. We went with the
ness was very similar to that of yogurt. intention of learning everything about the
The four of us, all giants, sat awkwardly, but national dish laphet thoke, or fermented tea leaf
honored. The yard was lined with 20 or more salad (sadly, not included in this book — tasty
small trees grown in plastic bags filled with dirt. as it is, there are no fermented beans or grains
He explained that they were seedlings from in this one), and we came home having experi-
the star fruit tree we were under. He wanted to enced many more.

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 Myanmar-Style
Fried Tofu
Y I E L D: 2 P OU NDS

We made a point of eating street food for nearly every meal while we were in Myanmar, and one
of Christopher’s favorites was crispy fried chickpea tofu, which had a crispy outside and a soft,
creamy, almost doughy inside and was amazingly tasty when dipped in mysterious concoctions of
savory and chile-fueled heat. We have seen many recipes online for this wonderful chickpea tofu,
but most of them skip the fermentation step to save time. These recipes work, but you miss out on
the fermentation benefits.
The thinner you slice the tofu, the crispier it will be. If you cut thicker slices, the middle will
remain a bit creamy, which is also wonderful.

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FERMENTATION 15 hours

G etting S tarted : S pontaneous F erments

6 cups (1.4 L) water the pan. Drape a clean cloth over the pan and let it
2 cups (240 g) packed chickpea/garbanzo sit until it cools. Then place it in the refrigerator to
flour set, about 6 hours.

½ teaspoon (3 g) salt (optional) 5. When you are ready to fry the chickpea mix-
½ teaspoon (1.6 g) powdered turmeric ture, turn it out of its dish onto a cutting board. It
(optional) should have the consistency of firm tofu. Carefully
slice thin (about ¼-inch-thick) slices with a
Peanut oil, for coating the dish and for frying
sharp knife.

1. Pour 2 cups of the water into a medium bowl. 6. Line a plate with paper towels. Pour about
Add the chickpea flour and whisk until well 2 inches of peanut oil into a wok (preferred)
combined. Cover the bowl with a plate or lid. Let or heavy pan over high heat and bring it to
the mixture ferment at room temperature for 375°F/190°C.
15 hours.
7. Carefully slide tofu slices into the hot oil, leav-
2. After fermentation, add the salt and turmeric, ing space between them. You will need to work in
if using. Stir well. batches. Fry until lightly browned on the bottom,
about 2 minutes, then flip the slices and continue
3. Bring the remaining 4 cups water to a boil over
frying until lightly browned on the other side, 1 to
high heat. Whisk in the fermented chickpea mix-
2 minutes. These slices won’t brown like fried
ture. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook
potatoes, so don’t try or they will fall apart. Just a
at a slow boil until the mixture is thickened and
hint of brown is perfect.
slightly reduced, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir continuously
with a spatula to keep the mixture from sticking to 8. Using a slotted spoon, remove the slices and
the bottom of the pan. set on the towel-lined plate to drain. Fry the
remaining tofu slices in the same way. If the oil
4. Oil a small casserole dish, glass pie pan, or
begins to smoke or the tofu slices are cooking too
bread loaf pan. Pour the hot chickpea mixture into
quickly, reduce the heat to medium.

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 Myanmar-Style
Shan Soup
Y I E L D: 4 G OOD - S I ZE D B OWL S

During our trip to Myanmar, we had planned to visit the region in the northern part of the country
where tea leaves are fermented, which is home to many different ethnic groups, several with their
own standing armies. We had to change our plans at the last minute because fighting broke out
between Myanmar’s government army and one of those regional armies, cutting off our access to
the tea villages. We found tea plantations and the fermentation we were seeking, including this
tofu, in other parts of the country.
In Burmese, this soup is called hto-hpu nwe, which either means warm tofu or hot tofu. We got
various translations and, depending upon where we were eating it and which hot chile had been
added, it did range from warm to very hot. This is a tasty base for some fun soup bowls.
94

FERMENTATION 12 hours for the first ferment and 3 hours for the second
G etting S tarted : S pontaneous F erments

8 cups (1.9 L) water It helps to have a rubber spatula handy to period-

2 cups (184 g) chickpea/garbanzo flour ically scrape the the cheesecloth to remove the
chickpea sediment. Compost the chickpea sedi-
1 tablespoon (15 mL) peanut oil
ment. Cover the bowl of broth and let ferment for
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt 3 hours at room temperature.
½ teaspoon (1 g) powdered turmeric
3. Pour the oil into a heavy pot and rub it around
Hot sauce (optional), for topping to coat the bottom and sides. Stir the chickpea
Chopped cilantro, cooked rice noodles, broth and pour all of it into the pot. Stir in the salt
chopped roasted peanuts, blanched and turmeric.
greens, or finely sliced shallots (optional),
4. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then
for topping
reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a
slow boil until thickened and slightly reduced,
1. Pour the water into a large bowl. Add the
20 to 25 minutes. Stir continuously with a spatula
chickpea flour and whisk until well combined.
to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom
Cover the bowl with a plate or lid and let ferment
of the pot.
at room temperature for 12 hours.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and serve the
2. Stretch a piece of cheesecloth across another
soup immediately, topped with a drizzle of hot
large bowl and secure with a rubber band. Pour
sauce, if you like, and your favorite fresh toppings.
the chickpea batter through the cheesecloth into
the bowl. This may take a little time and patience.

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 Pone Yay Gyi
MAK E S AB OU T 1 C U P

Pone yay gyi (“bean sour”) is a fermented horse gram (see page 49) paste that is found only in
the Bagan region of Myanmar, where the climate is perfectly suited to growing the high-protein
pulse. Travelers to Burma often bring this paste home to their loved ones, sort of like mouse ears
from Disneyland. At the shop we visited, which was also a processing facility, you could buy small,
brightly colored, multipack gifts expressly for this purpose.
The most interesting thing about this fermented paste is that it is made by reducing the bean
residue in the cooking liquid (often called “pot liquor”), not the beans themselves. We suspect
that this type of ferment could be made with the thick pot liquor of many beans, but we haven’t
tried it yet. Try making Horse Gram Tempeh (page 161) with the leftover beans.
To make a flavoring sauce for rice or noodles, mix 2 tablespoons pone yay gyi with some diced
fresh chiles or red pepper flakes to taste and 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Or make Pone Yay Gyi
95
Shallot Salad (page 351).

G etting S tarted : S pontaneous F erments

FERMENTATION 24 hours

1 pound (450 g) horse gram 4. Pour the bean liquid into a jar; you will likely
¾ teaspoon (5 g) salt have 1 to 2 quarts. Add the salt and stir to dissolve,
then cover the jar loosely with a clean cloth. Place
1. Rinse the beans, then soak them overnight the jar in a warm place (80°F/ 27°C to 90°F/ 32°C
in a gallon of water. is perfect) and let ferment for 24 hours, or until
there are frothy bubbles on top of the liquid.
2. Rinse the beans again, then place them in a
pot with another gallon of fresh water. Bring the 5. When the ferment is ready, skim off any bub-
beans to a boil over high heat, then reduce the bles. Pour the liquid into a pot. Bring to a boil over
heat to low and simmer in a covered pot until high heat, then reduce the heat to a low simmer
soft, about 4 hours. Add more water as needed and cook until the liquid reduces to a paste that
while cooking to keep the beans fully submerged. has the consistency of overly dry refried beans,
Remove the beans from the heat and let cool. which should take an hour or more, depending on
the size of your pot. As it cooks, stir the liquid with
3. Working in batches, pour the bean liquid a rubber spatula, occasionally at first, and then
through a sieve into another pot. Use the back of a constantly as it thickens and forms a skin on top.
wooden spoon to press the beans against the sieve
to remove all the liquid. Alternatively, gather the 6. Spread the paste on a plate in an even layer
beans in butter muslin and squeeze out the liquid. about 1½ inches thick. Let it sit in an out-of-the-
The trick is to capture as much of the thick bean way place to dry for 24 hours.
liquid as possible; some of the beans will become 7. Transfer the dried paste to a jar, pressing out
mashed, but there is no need to mash them on the air pockets, and seal. Store in the refrigerator,
purpose. You can feed the leftover beans to live- where it will keep for about 3 months.
stock, put them in compost, or, as mentioned
above, use them to make Horse Gram Tempeh.

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 Discovering Pone Yay Gyi in Myanmar
We landed in Bagan, Myanmar, early in the morning. time. There, we found a small open-air facility
We rented electric bicycles and ­suddenly we felt as that made and sold pone yay gyi.
though we were driving right through the pages of Stepping into the facility was like stepping
National Geographic. Bagan is that kind of place. through a veil of smoky, sultry air, fire, and steam
A few days into our stay, we hired a guide. into another time. At the far wall, a stack 4 feet
He first took us through an indoor market in high and 20 feet long of gnarled gray pieces of
Nyuang U, the neighboring town to Old Bagan. wood awaited their fate in the two long and low
There, we found all types of ferments — a type brick ovens, which dominated the middle of the
of preserved citrus, fermented mustard greens, space. Inset along the tops of these long ovens
fermented green mango, shrimp sour, tua nao, were five wide metal bowls, like 3-foot woks,
and many others. Despite our guide’s insistence with beans bubbling away. Beans and bean
that they would make our Western stomachs paste were everywhere: in sacks, in pots, tum-
sick, we went back later and bought some of the bling out of pots. The walls were bean-­colored
ferments anyway. While we understood his con- and matched the dirt and concrete floors.
cern, we also knew that our bodies were used Electrical wires as thick as your thumb crawled
to ferments and that fermentation made food like snakes along the rafters. Every now and then
safer. We took the risk and did not get sick. they dipped down to bite an electrical box or to
Next we drove into a neighborhood that we just dangle in midair, waiting.
hadn’t yet seen, where English colonial homes, From this rustic, steamy, bean- and earth-
cracked with faded grandeur, were surrounded toned enclave came a delicious bean paste that
by dust, tamarind trees, stray dogs, and curious was packaged in garish red, shiny, single-serving
children. These buildings were so out of place packs and sold in the corner that was the shop.
and so much a part of the place at the same We bought several packs to take home.

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 Tua Nao
Y I E L D: 10 –12 DI S K S

Tua nao literally translates as “soybean spoiled.” This fermented soybean paste, sometimes called
pè bohk, is dried into thin, round disks that are used in much the same way as miso to flavor soups
and sauces. Tua nao is found in many dishes in the lush, green, mountainous regions of Myanmar,
as well as in northern Thailand.
The main microbe for this ferment is a strain of Bacillus subtilis, the bacteria that is also
responsible for natto. As the soybeans break down during fermentation, they release a lot of
ammonia. The upside is that this tips the pH scale high into a safe zone; the downside is that this
ferment is known to be a bit inconsistent and can have a strong ammonia odor.
Once fermented, the beans are ground into a paste, rolled into the disks, and sun-dried for a
few days. They are then fried in oil to make a base for sauces, eaten like crackers with the meal, or
wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed to be eaten before a meal. This recipe is adapted from what
97
we saw and learned in Myanmar, and the work of Naomi Duguid in her cookbook Burma: Rivers of
Flavor. To ferment, you’ll need an incubation chamber that is relatively humid and warm (around

G etting S tarted : S pontaneous F erments

106°F/41°C); see some of your options beginning on page 24.

FERMENTATION 2–3 days

1 cup (175 g) soybeans spread them in a layer about 1½ inches deep. Fill
½ cup rice or rice hulls a small bowl with the rice and place it in the center
of the dish, moving some of the beans aside to
Salt
make room.
Sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, pieces of
Kaffir lime leaves, or minced lemongrass, 4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, crimping
ginger, or galangal, for flavoring (optional) the edges to seal tightly. Then, holding the foil
taut, use a skewer or pointed chopstick to poke a
1. Rinse the soybeans and then transfer them to series of air holes across the top about 1½ inches
a large pot. Add enough water to cover them by at apart in a grid pattern.
least a couple of inches. Let them soak for at least 5. To maintain a humid environment, place a
6 hours and up to 24 hours, and then drain them. small jar of water in the incubation chamber.
2. Now it’s time to cook the beans. You can boil Incubate the beans for 2 to 3 days. Check the
them or steam them, following the instructions on ferment daily. In the first 24 hours, a white film
page 54. When they are done, they should be soft will start to develop and you will smell a strong
and easy to squeeze between your thumb and ring nutty aroma. You can check for biofilm by running
finger. a spoon across the top of the beans. The spoon
should stick slightly and threads should form
3. Drain the cooked beans. Transfer them to a behind it. On days 2 and 3, check to make sure
shallow glass or stainless-steel casserole dish and the beans aren’t drying out.
Recipe continues on next page

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 Tua Nao, continued
6. After the fermenting period, the beans will
have an ammonia odor and will likely be sticky.
Transfer the beans to a food processor. Pulse to
mash them into a smooth paste, adding water as
needed. You want a thick paste that isn’t too wet.
You may need to process the beans in batches.

7. Add ½ teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup of

mashed beans and mix well. Then mix in the fla-
vorings, if using. You can now use the paste as is.
Refrigerated in a sealed container, it will keep for
1 to 2 weeks. For a longer shelf life, continue on to
98 make dried disks.
G etting S tarted : S pontaneous F erments

8. Form the paste into golfball-size balls (about

2 tablespoons of paste). Place each ball between
two sheets of plastic wrap, parchment paper,
or damp, clean cloth and roll into small, flat,
thin disks. For an authentic feel, set the disks
out in the sun to dry. Alternatively, dehydrate
them in a dehydrator for 12 to 18 hours. Store
the disks in a cool, dry place, like you would any
­dehydrated food. They will keep indefinitely.

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 PTER
HA 5
C

NATTO
AND ITS ALK ALINE COUSINS

T
his chapter focuses on one of the most is because, as with all microbes, when B. subtilis 10 1
unique ferments and nutrient-dense is in the wrong place, the results are ruinous.
superfoods out there: natto. Natto is a Acetic acid bacteria are amazing in vinegar, for
Japanese fermented soybean condiment instance, but they are a winemaker’s nemesis;
that has traditionally been a breakfast staple. cheese and sauerkraut wouldn’t work without
“Eat your natto” tumbles out of Japanese parents’ lactic acid bacteria, but you don’t want them in
mouths with the same it’s-good-for-you tone as your cider. Similarly, B. subtilis is not welcome
American parents might say, “Drink your milk” in miso houses or sake breweries, to the point
or “Eat your broccoli.” Most Americans have where brewers are forbidden to eat natto during
never heard of natto, despite the love affair in this the brewing season, lest an errant spore finds its
country with sushi and Japanese food. But we way into the sake.
don’t see that as a deterrent, as at one time most While some of the ferments you will read
Americans didn’t know what tofu was, and before about in this chapter are still made in traditional
that we didn’t know about yogurt. wild-style ways, in general, natto is cultured with
As is the case for all ferments, natto was dis- specific natto spores. And if you would like to
covered when food was left alone for a period of make natto and miso and tempeh at home, not
time. In this case, Bacillus subtilis went to work to worry: we have been making all of them with
on soybeans. And honestly, some folks still think some precautions in the very same spaces and
natto is more of an accident, or a contaminated have had no problems.
ferment, than a proper intentional ferment. This

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 K I R S T EN W R I T E S : When I was a cheesemaker Ann told me, “In my own experience, for the
I was warned against ever making blue cheese first year of producing natto commercially, I
because, I was told, there would be no turning back. worked in a communal incubator kitchen space
My cheddars, my fetas, my Goudas — all would and shared a fermentation room with other fer-
become blue cheese. In fact, like the sake brewers menters making huge vats of all sorts of lactofer-
who aren’t allowed to eat natto, workers at our ments (kimchi, kombucha, kraut), and none of us
local creamery (that is world famous for its blue ever had a problem. Of course, these are B. subtilis
cheese) who have been in the blue cheese house competing with (primarily) Lactobacillus. That
during a workday cannot enter the cheddar facilities was totally fine. I have not personally tried doing
because they could be carrying spores from the blue fungal ferments (koji-based ferments and tempeh)
cheese mold. in close quarters with my natto. However, I know
Because of its spore-forming ability, B. sub- at least two very well-established producers who
tilis, the bacterium responsible for natto, is also make both natto and koji ferments in the same
1 02 tenacious and pretty indestructible. (Just wait, (small) facilities without a problem, and both
you’ll see how tough it is on page 104.) I admit I certainly consume all types of ferments without
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

was a little nervous about working with koji, miso, restriction.”

tempeh, and natto at the same time. I wondered: I also learned that B. subtilis can spend indef-
Should I even bring natto into my house? What if inite amounts of time in spore form, completely
B. subtilis takes over all my fermentations? inactive. It takes the right conditions (in the case
I did some research and talked to Ann of natto, a heat shock and a food source) for them
Yonetani, microbiologist and natto maker at to wake up, produce enzymes, and contaminate
NYrture Food (you’ll meet her on page 110). foods. So yes, B. subtilis can be a contaminant
I learned that B. subtilis is everywhere already — for sure, but as with all fermentations, using B.
specifically in the air and the soil — so it’s in the subtilis is about our choosing and cultivating the
vegetables we bring in from the garden, the flow- microbes to “control rot” to our benefit.
ers on the table, our kitchen compost bucket . . .
I should have learned this when I was able to
successfully make cheonggukjang (page 123) and
On Base: What Is an
tua nao (page 97) — both of which require B. sub- Alkaline Ferment?
tilis — without a culture before I ever ate or made Most of the fermentations people think of
natto in our home. The “extreme fear that never are alcoholic or acidic, in which the resulting
the two shall meet” may be more lore than neces- alcohol and/or acid content (think pH here),
sity, Ann says. If you take enough care to make along with the presence or absence of oxygen,
sure cultures are not carelessly thrown about, and controls which microbes survive, multiply, and
you thoroughly clean up, I have found that cross carry out the fermentation. Alcohol ferments,
contamination can be avoided. like beer and wine, rely on yeasts as the domi-
nant force (unless acetic acid bacteria move in
and make vinegar, always a sad day for the cel-
larmeister). Acidic fermentations, like pickles

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 and cheese, rely on lactic acid bacteria to lower ferments rely on “wild caught” local B. subtilis
the pH and make the food safe and delicious. instead of inoculation, there is very little differ-
Alkaline fermentations are much less com- ence between them and natto — with warmth
mon in Western traditions. In this book we only and time, beans (mostly soy) become sticky,
cover some legume-based alkaline ferments, somewhat stinky, and infinitely more digestible.
but there are many worldwide that are animal-­ In most areas where B. subtilis ferments are
based — for example the Mediterranean fish made, production is still done at the home or
sauce garum. These ferments make use of the village level, like they have been for centuries.
base side of the pH scale to control fermenta- Since these regional ferments are wild, they
tion (and preservation) by increasing the pH to also contain various other organisms alongside
an alkalinity that is higher that 7, which makes the dominant B. subtilis. These ferments are not
the food inhospitable to unwelcome microor- stable over the long-term without some help.
ganisms. That said, alkaline ferments aren’t as In villages that do not have refrigeration, they
bulletproof as acidic ferments (more on that are cooked into soups or curries or preserved in 10 3
in a moment). Most legume-based alkaline fer- some other fashion — like the sun-dried tua nao

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

ments rely on the Bacillus subtilis bacteria for flavor disks made in Myanmar (page 97) and the
fermentation. traditionally buried ceramic pots of cheongguk-
While this chapter focuses on natto, which jang in Korea (page 121).
comes from Japan, very similar versions of soy In Japan, natto has evolved a little differ-
fermented with B. subtilis are found all over ently. It is inoculated with B. subtilis var. natto,
eastern Asia, southern Asia, and up into the a variety harnessed for consistently sublime
Himalayas, as well as in central and west Africa. flavor and success. Most of the production
In truth, other than the fact that these other has become industrialized, whether by small

Kinema
Kinema is an alkaline soy ferment from Nepal aerobic condition, add microbial diversity, and
and surrounding regions in the Himalayas. serve as packaging, while the wood ash helps
Traditionally this ferment is made only by women, ensure the right alkaline conditions. Pretty cool,
and in these rural households, producing kinema right? When fresh, this ferment stays viable for
provides the family with a small but crucial only a few days, so it is dried for a longer shelf
income. life. The women sell it wrapped in fern, ficus, or
To make kinema, the women soak and steam banana leaves tied with straw. Kinema is usually
the small yellow or dark brown local soybeans, fried in oil and added to onions, tomatoes, garlic,
then crush them slightly, put them in a basket chiles, and other vegetables to make a thick curry
lined with fern leaves, and sprinkle them with that is served over rice.
wood ash. The airy fern leaves contribute to an

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 artisans or large-scale producers, and is now A weak alkaline ferment (underdeveloped
refrigerated or frozen for long-term stability. threads and biofilm) is more susceptible than its
With lactic acid fermentations, acidic fla- acidic counterpoint to other microbes looking
vor or a sour pickly smell are both signs of a for food. Don’t feel discouraged or wary, how-
solid ferment. With these alkaline ferments, ever — we will show you how to ensure that you
the beans need to be heavily populated (read: have a successful ferment. Don’t forget: people
gooey, sticky, stringy) with the B. subtilis bac- have been making alkaline ferments in their
teria in order to ward off undesirable bacteria. homes for hundreds of years.

1 04

Badass Bacillus
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

If we could vote for the most badass microbe, our choice, hands-down, would be B. subtilis. Here are our
top five reasons.

5. They were on Earth before us, even before 2. Speaking of hosts, B. subtilis cells have been
our humanlike ancestors from the Paleolithic found in the wee tummies of 40-million-
era. Take note, people on a Paleo diet: B. sub- year-old bees. B. subtilis is one of the most
tilis species clearly count as Paleo because dominant bacteria species in honeybee
they undoubtedly were happily nestled in stomachs and is believed to be key in the
the guts of the early Paleolithic versions of bees’ ability to process nectar from flowers
ourselves. into honey.
4. Evidence of Bacillus species spans our globe; 1. Forget Earth for a moment. Scientists in the
they are on every continent, and the oldest mid-1990s proved that the B. subtilis spe-
were found in salt crystals that are 250 mil- cies could survive in space for years — dark
lion years old. space, with its killer radiation, ultra cold, and
3. Many bacteria live in the soil, and Bacillus complete vacuum environment. These same
species were originally classified as soil scientists believe that the endospores of
organisms, but now scientists think of them B. subtilis bacteria likely exist throughout the
also as digestive tract organisms. This means universe!
that their home is all types of creatures who
dwell on and eat from the soil, from dino-
saurs to insects to us, and they use the soil as
a bus stop while they wait for the next host
to happen by.

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 Why Natto? stroke and the advancement of cardiovascular
Soybeans are the richest source of legume pro- disease. It has even been suggested that nattoki-
tein. When we add the bacteria B. subtilis var. nase can help with the prevention of diabetes
natto, it produces enzymes that digest these and Alzheimer’s disease by dissolving protein
proteins into simpler forms of peptides or even aggregates in the body, which are central to
simpler amino acids, which is easier for us to both disorders.
digest. As the bacteria digest the proteins, they That stickiness is made primarily of polyglu-
release ammonia, making the natto kind of tamic acid and mucin, which sounds like mucus
stinky. The bacteria also digest the carbohy- because it kind of is, but that is a good thing. Let
drates, to a point where the sugars are at near us explain. Polyglutamic acid is a biodegradable
zero after 18 hours of fermentation. and edible biopolymer that is produced by the
The health benefits of eating natto regularly bacteria Bacillus subtilis. Like other polymers
are clear and impressive, and the depth of the (think plastics or our own DNA), it is made up
research is strong and convincing (we will get of many smaller compounds that together give it 10 5
deeper into this shortly). If there is a true super- unique physical characteristics. In this case, it’s

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

food, it might just be natto. But let’s be honest, viscous and somewhat elastic. Mucin is a muco-
the health benefits need to be this impressive protein that coats the bacteria, protecting them
because, while natto devotees crave the earthy from your stomach acid and allowing them to
umami, slightly alkaline bite, and toasted nutti- make it down to your digestive tract. Besides
ness of these fermented beans, at first bite you helping to deliver the probiotics safely through
may not be craving natto for its flavor — but we your digestive system, it may also lubricate as
predict that will change. it goes, helping your immune system to keep
strong and fight off viruses.
Health Benefits Natto is a complete protein that has all of the
One of natto’s most unique health benefits essential amino acids that our bodies need but
comes from the enzyme nattokinase. This cannot create on their own. It’s a rich source of
enzyme appears to act as a natural blood thin- omega-3 fatty acids, but it really shines in the
ner, helping to dissolve fibrin, an enzyme in area of vitamins and minerals.
the blood that can cause abnormal thickening The vitamin and mineral content of soy-
of blood and blood vessel constriction. In other beans varies widely depending on whether they
words, it works to prevent and dissolve clots are boiled or fermented. Let’s start with miner-
and lower blood pressure. What’s funny is that als. While sodium, phosphorus, and zinc levels
natto itself is sticky and goopy, and yet it works remain the same after fermentation, potas-
to release blocked or sluggish (sticky) blood. sium, calcium, iron, and copper levels increase.
In fact, natto is all about healthy blood flow. Magnesium is the only mineral that is lowered
Nattokinase is an enzyme that is secreted by by fermentation, though that decrease is by only
B. subtilis into a tangle of natto strings. In 1987, about 10 percent.
Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi analyzed natto’s goo and Topping the list of soybeans’ vitamins is K,
found it had highly active levels of this blood a fat-soluable vitamin that comes in two forms.
clot–dissolving enzyme.18 Nattokinase is fre- You might remember something about leafy
quently used therapeutically to help prevent greens and vitamin K — that’s K1. It’s found in

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 plant foods because plants require it for photo- incidence of bone fractures in women with post-
synthesis. So, eat your veggies and you get your menopausal osteoporosis.19 Vitamin K2 comes in
K1, which helps blood to clot. Vitamin K2, on the many forms; menaquinone-7 (MK-7) is the form
other hand, isn’t produced by plants but rather most easily used by the human body, and natto’s
by bacteria, and it can be found in cheeses, vitamin K2 is nearly all in this form.20
sauerkraut, and fermented soybeans like miso The B. subtilis in natto appears to play a
and natto. Natto has by far the highest concen- unique role as a probiotic. Although it rarely
tration — 15 times more than hard cheese, and shows up as a major player in analyses of micro-
over 200 times more than sauerkraut — which flora in the lower gut (the part of our digestive
is good news for those of us looking to increase system that is easiest to sample), there is a
our bone density. K2 is thought to build bone wealth of evidence showing that people who eat
health as well as heart health, among other natto or supplement with B. subtilis have a sig-
things. Studies indicate that K2 decreases the nificantly different balance of gut microbes than
1 06
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

History of Natto:
War Beans or Monk’s Delight?
Natto originated in ancient Japan, likely about transformation had taken place in its warm, humid
a thousand years ago. Exactly when and how confines. Those soybeans were now covered in
depends upon which legend or scholarly theory the threaded web of natto. He must have been
you want to believe. hungry, because as the legend goes, he dug in
According to one story, in the eleventh cen- and found it good. Thirty years later, during yet
tury, the northeast provinces of Japan were cold another military campaign, Yoshiie would bring
and crops often failed, though the government the natto process with him, believing it made his
never failed to collect taxes, or at least try to. soldiers strong in combat. Thus, natto became an
The people of the province of Oshu had had important part of war rations.
enough and were thinking of revolt. In 1051, a A less violent origin story holds that the char-
contingent of soldiers, led by samurai warrior acter pronounced “na” comes from the word nasso,
Minamoto no Yoshiie, was sent northward to which is a word for a temple’s kitchen. The char-
collect. One night, Yoshiie’s camp was attacked acter pronounced “to” means “beans,” so putting
just as he was finishing up boiling soybeans for them together, we have “beans from the temple
the horses’ dinner. Not one to waste perfectly kitchen.” And indeed, natto is a staple in the vegan
good beans, Yoshiie tossed them into a straw bag Zen monastic diet. The image of monks preparing
and strapped it to one of the horses as he and his natto in their quiet temple kitchen is decidedly
soldiers made their getaway. Hours later, Yoshiie more peaceful than natto riding alongside retreat-
opened the straw bag only to discover that a ing samurai in the night. You decide.

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 those who do not. B. subtilis seems to modulate foods that have the slippery texture called neba
our total gut ecosystem, helping our “good” bac- neba — foods like okra, sea urchin, raw egg, and
teria species (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) slippery grated mountain yam. Natto is the ulti-
to flourish while helping to defend against “bad” mate neba neba food. The goo that coats natto
bacteria (Clostridium and Streptococcus) by is called a biofilm in the lab, or as Heidi Nestler
­suppressing their growth. Bacillus subtilis isn’t of Wanpaku Foods (see page 125) describes it,
especially immune to the acidic bile ocean of “gossamer threads of goodness.” No matter what
our stomach; however, its spores do quite well. you call it, this consistency is where the magic
Last but not least, the nutritional benefit of lies. It is natto’s superpower, its “special sauce.”
natto derives largely from the fact that fermen- There is a direct correlation between sauce
tation counteracts the antinutrient properties of goo and strong, happy probiotic bacteria and
the raw soybeans. As with all the soybean fer- all the other health benefits that are products
ments in this book, natto is a much more nutri- thereof — the stickier, the better. The caveat
tious food than its nonfermented counterpart. is that the goo factor can bring even the most 10 7
adventurous eaters to their knees.

Natt(so) Much:

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

Okay, now that we have talked texture, let’s
talk flavor. What does natto taste like? This is a
Building a Relationship difficult question because we all taste food dif-

with Natto ferently, and once you love it (we are thinking
positively here; you will love it), you will likely
We have traveled the country for a number of
pick up on flavors you didn’t notice at first.
years sharing “sauered” vegetables and the gos-
The scent is part of the experience, and like all
pel of fermentation. When we’re on tour, every
things fermented, it has funk and aroma. It has
time we stand in front of a new group of folks
a toasted nuttiness to it. The flavor can be mild,
we begin by asking, “Who here has fermented
with only a slight earthy ammonia (a young
before?” The banter goes on as we figure out
natto), to strong (well-aged natto), but honestly,
whether we are preaching to the choir or con-
for most people the flavor is not as disconcert-
vincing the skeptical. When we imagine asking
ing as the texture.
“Who here has tried natto before?,” we picture
We like to remind people who are struggling
ourselves in the fourth grade standing before
with the stringiness that for some people, moz-
the classroom as it erupts in “eeeew,” “gro-­oss,”
zarella is just as odd-looking as natto (cheese
and general potty-type humor, with the class
is, after all, milk “soured” by bacteria). In other
clown crying out, “Who cut the cheese?”
words, it is just a matter of what you are used to.
Have you tried natto? If you haven’t, we
Non-dairy-eating peoples of the world are just
don’t want to dissuade you with this frank
as put off by the look of the strings of cheese
discussion of filaments. Yet discussing natto
that melt off the side of a hot piece of pizza as
without mentioning the sticky, stringy, whispy
you may be by the sticky threads of natto. And
film that coats the beans is like talking about a
while we are talking about cheese, we’ll say
pickle and not mentioning sour. How do you
that natto is kind of like a funky cheese and can
feel about okra? In Japan, connoisseurs prize

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 be used as such. Its aroma is similar to that of it heads out into the world. The difference
washed-rind cheeses like Limburger, Chimay, between it and your homemade jar of natto is
Taleggio, and others, due to the role of fungal not unlike the difference between a hard, bland
and bacterial aging on the surface. supermarket tomato and a sun-ripened juicy
Many fermented foods are acquired tastes. tomato picked right off the vine.
Coffee, beer, and wine, for example, all result Fresh homemade natto has a richer, nuttier
from fermentation, and most of us don’t neces- flavor than you will find in the packaged natto.
sarily like them at first, and then we love them. Yet at the same time, it also has a gentle fresh-
It has been our experience that most people ness. (If you want stronger flavor, just let it age
who stick with natto end up loving and/or crav- longer in the refrigerator.) That said, there are a
ing it (that is likely the microbiome talking); few artisan natto makers in this country whose
like many ferments, it finds a way into your product is delicious and high quality. If you are
heart (and gut). curious about natto but not ready to make your
1 08 Like many people, we didn’t love natto the own, head to the source guide (page 388) and
first time we tried it. We now realize that we order some fresh natto from them.
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

just didn’t know how to eat it. The hurdle to

natto love can simply be its presentation — in
other words, what it is served with, over, or in.
Making Natto:
We hope that some of our recipes entice you to An Overview
try natto, or if you have already tried it, to see it Unlike vegetable ferments, where good hygiene
in a new light. and clean tools are enough to ensure proper
And, of course, you may just love natto at microbial colonization, natto requires some
first bite. Our 3-year-old granddaughter, of her specific sanitation practices. This is because, as
own volition, requested “sticky beans” for a we mentioned, B. subtilis fermentation is alka-
snack daily. After teaching you how to make line, not acidic. And while alkalinity discour-
natto, we share the traditional ways to eat it as ages other microbes, it is not nearly as strong
well as a few nontraditional ways that may be a barrier to pathogenic microbial growth as a
more familiar to people in the West. typical acidic ferment. Again, we refer to Ann
Yonetani: “That said, if the fermentation goes
Why Make Your Own? well and the product is really super-fuzzy and
Like most foods, the industrial version of natto gummy, you can rest pretty assured that you
cannot compare to the small-batch handmade have a successful ferment, and the sheer over-
counterpart. The homemade version has more whelming numbers of B. subtilis cells (and their
flavor and higher quality, from bean to bacteria. biofilm) will effectively defend themselves from
In the industrial version, the inoculated hot contamination.”
beans are plopped right into a little styrofoam We also take great care in washing our
package, a perforated bit of plastic is put on top, equipment afterward, not because we are wor-
the package is sealed, the beans are allowed to ried about pathogens, but because we also use
ferment, and then the natto is frozen before them to make koji and tempeh.

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622988_MisoTempeh_FinalPages.indd 109 3/8/19 11:19 AM
 Meet the Maker
Ann Yonetani
NYrture Food
Meet Ann Yonetani, Ph.D., owner of NYrture Food, and one of less than a handful of folks* to make and
sell natto in the United States commercially. NYrture New York Natto comes in four varieties: original,
turmeric, black, and organic. This makes her a pioneer in the production of an ancient food, but her
background is entirely contemporary — she holds a doctorate in microbiology and has spent years as a
food science educator and biomedical research scientist.

110 Living in New York City, Ann had the same Driven by a curiosity to learn more about
bucolic cheesemaker dream that many of us this ancient food, she spent the summer of
have had at some point. However, she wasn’t 2014 in Japan with her children exploring natto
looking to leave the city, and cheese making in its native habitat, eating all the varieties she
never seemed realistic. Somewhere along her could find and seeking out natto knowledge. She
journey, she realized that natto, a food she found a fifth-generation natto maker in Tokyo
remembered from her childhood visits to Japan, and soaked up everything she could about natto
had a lot in common with the chemistry of the history and the art of making it. As soon as she
cheeses she loved. And as a food scientist, she returned to New York, it was game on: the experi-
was spending a lot of time thinking and talking ments began (which she shared with her food sci-
about how humans can move toward a plant- ence students). Ann knew that good natto starts
based diet, which is more important than ever for with good soybeans that have been cultivated
the planet. “Natto is a close as you can get to a specifically for natto. She tried different organic
vegan washed-rind cheese,” she says, “plus it has soybeans — big and small, black and yellow —
that deep, funky, umami flavor that is missing in played with the cooking method, and worked on
many vegan diets.” consistency, nurturing the Bacillus subtilis for the
Like a fine cheese, natto is in the hands of best flavor and the most superlative sauce. Soon
microbes — humans aren’t totally in control, and NYrture New York Natto was born.
it can differ from batch to batch. Ann feels that In the fall of 2015, Ann wanted to know: How
wildness is part of the magic. “Food used to be probiotic was her natto? She let a batch age for a
fresh and dirty. We lived surrounded by nature. month in the refrigerator and then took it to labs
Nowadays, we are exposed to too little microbial at Harvard Medical School, where the micro-
diversity,” she says. This may be one reason why scopes are awesome. The first thing she learned
our collective microbiome seems to be deterio- is that the natto was still alive and well, doing
rating. Fermented foods may be a way to com- what B. subtilis does — living, dividing, and spor-
bat this loss. ulating (like making babies, but different).

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 The fact that the bacteria were actively grow- food.) Here’s where the spores come in. Natto’s
ing and undergoing sporulation within the food spores may be fairly impervious to the assault
was a big deal. Here’s why: Most bacteria in food waged by the stomach’s environment. If B. subtilis
do not make it all the way to our gut microbiome. spores can reach the gut, and they may be more
It is a numbers game, really; most of the probiotic likely than most probiotic species to do so, they
bacteria in fermented foods don’t do well under may move in and colonize, becoming the positive
long storage conditions, and the tremendously player in a healthy gut, as scientists believe them
acidic bath that is our stomach’s digestive juices to be. For Ann, the news was great, because she
wreaks further havoc on the sensitive population. found that even after several weeks of refriger-
111
(This, by the way, is a good thing, because our ated storage in glass jars, her company’s natto
acidic digestive bath is our first line of defense contained billions of B. subtilis cell-forming units
against any not-so-beneficial microbes in our alive and well!

*Other makers that we are aware of include Aloha Tofu in Honolulu, Hawaii; Megumi Natto in Sonoma County, California;
Rhapsody Natural Foods in Cabot, Vermont; and Wanpaku Foods in Portland, Oregon.

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 R EG U L A R S OY B E A N S

Choosing the Right Bean

The best beans for natto are the small yellow
soybeans that were specifically developed over
centuries for natto. The normal (large and yellow)
soybeans that you will find in most stores will, of
course, ferment, but the flavor and texture will
not be as good as if you use the smaller variety. N AT TO S OY B E A N S
We have found that the larger beans produce a
more sharply flavored natto; however, we do use
them to make cheonggukjang (see page 123).
Edamame also will not work, as it is basically B. subtilis ferments on beans other than soy,
an immature soybean; it would be like making so we don’t know if the lauded health benefits
refried beans with the seeds in green beans. are the same with, say, a pinto bean as they are
112 If you have never tasted natto and are not with a soybean; we suspect not. While you can
sure if you will like it, we suggest ordering the successfully substitute other beans for miso and
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

smaller beans. The flavor is significantly better. tempeh, we and other natto makers have found
Most of the beans that go to Japan for natto are that there isn’t a perfect substitute for soy in
actually grown in the United States. Two com- natto. In most cases, the bacteria just do not
panies that sell GMO-free natto beans from fam- build a good structure. We have found that the
ily farms are Signature Soy and Laura Soybeans tepary bean makes a good natto (see page 119)
(see the source guide on page 388). and we had fun with our black-eyed pea natto
Can you make natto using other types of (see page 120). Feel free to experiment, keeping
beans? Science hasn’t rigorously tested the in mind that the gooier, the better.

Natto Spores
Traditionally, natto was made by wrapping the We have had the most consistent natto
hot soybeans in rice straw bundles, which provide using powdered culture. Spore cultures are
a natural source of B. subtilis. These days, many widely available online (see the source guide on
strains are carefully cultivated for consistent page 388); they may be called natto-kin spores
­flavors and aromas. or natto-moto. Different starter cultures are
The most common strain you’ll find for use as designed to be used in different quantities, so be
a starter culure is B. subtilis var. natto, which was sure to check how many batches you can make
first isolated from a batch of natto in 1906. The per package. (Though if you are making natto
classification is important, because this strain regularly, you may save some money by culturing
does produce natto as we know it. Some manu- with a previous batch; see page 113.) In general,
facturers have gone on to create their own start- natto starters will keep for 6 months in the refrig-
ers, which allows them to highlight certain traits, erator or freezer and for 3 to 4 weeks at room
like resistance to low temperatures and thus low temperature.
productivity of ammonia. We can all get behind
such innovations.

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 Natto Fermentation Particulars part of your final gooeyness. A small amount of
Natto is a quick and fairly easy ferment. In fact, water (less than ¼ cup) will produce strings that
it is a great introduction to bean ferments. It has are the thickness of spiderweb filaments. If you
a short turnaround time. Like many ferments, use ½ cup or so, you will have a much thicker,
if things go awry, you’ll know — a bad batch of viscous texture. Pour the warm steamed soy-
natto has no goo or is quite unpleasant. (You beans into the bowl. The beans are inoculated at
can read all about natto mishaps in the trouble- a high temperature of around 175°F/79°C. The
shooting section beginning on page 372.) Given “heat shock” boosts the bacteria into action, not
that many people are unfamiliar with natto, unlike some pine species that need a forest fire
we will try to walk you through the look, feel, to trigger them to open their cones and release
flavors, and smells of this ferment, so that even their seeds. The high temperature also reduces
if you have never tasted it before, you will feel the likelihood that other microbes will have a
confident that you have done it right. chance to take up residence.
Sanitizing. You will need to sanitize your Since the steamed beans start drying as soon 113
fermentation vessel and utensils by boiling them as you pour them into the bowl, you will want

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

for 5 minutes, using the sanitize setting on your to work quickly to keep everything moist for
dishwasher, or spritzing them with 190-proof even coverage by the culture. Use a wooden
Everclear alcohol or a no-rinse brewing sanitizer. spatula or rice paddle to mix the beans and
Soaking and cooking. The next step is starter, taking care not to mash the beans. Then
soaking the beans, which is important for transfer the beans to your fermenting vessel,
all ferments (for more on why, see page 52). like a santitized casserole dish. Spread the beans
Next comes cooking them. For best results, the evenly and thinly — the thinner the better, as
soybeans should be neither overcooked nor they ­benefit from plenty of oxygen. The beans
undercooked. Overcooked soybeans can lead to should not be more than 2 inches deep.
a bland, almost flavorless natto. The simplest, To keep the environment nice and humid but
shortest route to properly cooked soybeans is still allow the natto some airflow, cover the dish
to steam them in a pressure cooker. The smaller with a piece of plastic wrap or aluminum foil
natto beans take 35 minutes in a pressure through which you’ve poked a matrix of holes
cooker, instead of 45 for the common soybean. with a skewer or chopstick. If you’re using plastic
See page 54 for instructions. wrap, lay it right on top of the beans. When the
Inoculating. You can use either powdered spores start “waking up,” they sense the environ-
natto spores (see box on page 112) or a small ment around them, and the plastic wrap will give
amount of beans from a previous batch of home- them a sense of a nice cozy home. It will also
made or commercial natto. We use about a table- give the bacteria another surface to adhere to as
spoon of homemade natto, or one-quarter of a they dig into their substrate. In our experience,
50-gram package of frozen natto. If using natto natto made this way has a much more developed
spores, follow the manufacturer’s directions. biofilm. (Fun fact: the bacteria also sense one
Combine a bit of just-boiled water and the another’s presence and are able to judge the pop-
natto starter in a santitized bowl. This water ulation in relation to their food source, slowing
will help disperse your natto culture and will be down reproduction when food is limited.)

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 The fermentation setup. The trickiest others in your family are sensitive to lingering
part in making natto is finding a place to incu- odors, consider where you set up your fermen-
bate your ferment (see incubation setups in tation space. A small batch doesn’t produce a lot
chapter 2). B. subtilis likes it tropical; a balmy of odor and it may not be noticeable to every-
99°F/37°C to 113°F/45°C is perfect. When we one, but it is something to be aware of.
make natto, we set the temperature right in the The taste. When your natto is finished, it
middle of that range: 106°F/41°C (note that shouldn’t taste bad at all. Fresh natto is actually
some packages suggest a lower temperature, but quite mild, with a toasted or nutty, earthy fla-
this is the sweet spot we have found). Be aware vor. The longer the ferment, the stronger the
that the life force of the microbes will create flavor and smell.
heat as the natto ferments. If you are using an As is the case for many ferments, bad is just
incubation setup where you are monitoring that bad — poor viscosity, a dramatic display
the temperature manually, like a heat mat or of off-colors, and composty smells will indicate
114 yogurt maker, you may need to reduce the tem- that the batch is destined not for consumption
perature of your device as the natto heats up. but for the compost. Trust your senses; they
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

Heidi Nestler (see page 125) has seen the tem- will let you know. Good is funky and nutty. Bad
perature of her natto spike to 127°F/53°C in a is full-on rotten.
yogurt maker.
A bread proofer, yogurt maker, or water bath Aging and Storing Natto
setup can be helpful because the environment As you are learning to make natto, you will dis-
stays more humid than in a dehydrator. You can cover how you prefer it to taste. Natto develops
use a dehydrator if you place a cup of water in character and flavor as it ages. Taste your natto
with the natto (also make sure the holes in the immediately after you make it. It will be just as
cover are small). (Crunchy, chewy, dried-out sticky as ever, but the flavor will be quite mild.
“raisin” natto is not tasty.) Then let it age in the fridge for 24 hours and
Incubate the soybeans for about 20 hours. taste again to see how the flavor has changed.
When they’re done fermenting, you’ll see a You can continue to age it and test it at intervals
white chalky film on top, or if you covered to see if you like a mild young natto or a strong
them with plastic wrap, they will look gooey on older natto. We like it aged for about 2 weeks.
the surface. Run a spoon across the natto and There are varying opinions on how long
see if you have plenty of sticky strings. If you natto keeps in the refrigerator. About a month
do, success! is a good rule of thumb. If it is kept for several
The smell. The first time Kirsten smelled months (aging all the while), the main risks are
natto fermenting, it reminded her of when she that it will dry out or become contaminated
was a kid and her mom would come home from with other microbes. We divide our finished
the salon with a new Afro perm (it was the natto into smaller airtight containers and place
1970s). Natto is an alkaline ferment, so instead a piece of parchment paper on top to keep the
of a funky acidic or sulfur aroma, it produces an natto from drying out. The smaller containers
ammonia scent. All this is to say that if you or also reduce the risk of contamination that may

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 come from dipping in and out of a larger con- will also compromise many of the inherent
tainer with utensils that may not be clean. health benefits of natto as well. However, if
All imported commercial natto is frozen to freezing works best for you, no worries. Freeze
slow its aging, although this may come at the your natto after you have aged it in the refriger-
expense of flavor because the act of thawing can ator to your liking. When you’re ready to eat it,
trigger a secondary fermentation that can create thaw the natto in the refrigerator and consume
off flavors. Importantly, freezing and thawing it immediately.

S T E P-BY-S T E P

Let’s Make Natto!

115

What You Need

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

ff Natto soybeans ff Natto culture
ff Large pot or electric pressure cooker for ff Aluminum foil or BPA-free plastic wrap
steaming the beans ff Chopstick (if using aluminum foil) or large
ff Kettle for boiling water needle (if using plastic)
ff Bowl for inoculating the beans ff Incubation chamber (see chapter 2)
ff Glass or stainless-steel casserole dish for ff Spoon
fermenting the beans

1. Steam the soybeans, following the

instructions on page 54. When the beans are
almost ready, bring a kettle of water to a boil.
Once the beans are ready, quick-release the
pressure, if you used an electric pressure cooker.
If you steamed them in a pot, turn off the heat,
but keep the lid on the beans until you are ready
to go. You will want to work quickly since the
natto spores are activated by a heat shock.

Instructions continue on next page

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 L e t ’ s M ak e Natto !

116 2. When the beans are ready, pour boiling water 3. Add ¼ to ½ cup of just-boiled water to
from the kettle into a bowl and a casserole dish the bowl, then add the natto culture and mix
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

to santitize and warm them. Swoosh the water thoroughly.

around, let it sit for 30 seconds, then pour into
the sink.

4. Add the hot steamed beans to the inoculated 5. Pour the inoculated beans into the warm
water and stir gently, taking care to avoid casserole dish.
crushing or breaking the beans, until well mixed.
You want the beans to be evenly coated.

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 L e t ’ s M ak e Natto !

6. Spread the beans in a thin, even layer, 7. Stretch plastic wrap or aluminum foil across 117
preferably from ½ to 1 inch deep, and no more the top of the casserole dish, crimping the edges

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

than 2 inches deep. to seal tightly. While holding the plastic wrap or
aluminum foil taut so that it doesn’t crush the
beans, poke a series of air holes. If you are using
plastic wrap, lay it directly on the beans after you
poke the holes.

8. Place the natto in a relatively humid 9. The natto is ready when you can see a well-
incubation chamber at 99°F/37°C to 113°F/45°C developed web of B. subtilis on top. Check the
for about 20 hours. growth of the stringy biofilm. Properly fermented
natto features a strong network of sticky threads.
It should be very gooey, like taffy, and not thin,
like a few spiderweb filaments.

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 Natto
Y I E L D: 4 – 5 C U P S

This is a basic recipe for classic natto. There isn’t a whole lot of space for creativity. As we
developed a taste for the biofilm, we discovered that if you use a little more water when
inoculating the beans, you will end up with a little more biofilm in your natto.

PROCESS natto (page 115) FERMENTATION 20 hours (30 hours for a more pungent natto)

2½ cups (450 g) soybeans, preferably the 4. Transfer the beans to the casserole dish and
small natto-style beans spread in a thin layer, preferably about ½ to 1 inch
Natto starter (B. subtilis var. natto; see deep, and no thicker than 2 inches.
note below) 5. Place a sheet of aluminum foil or plastic wrap
118 Boiling water, for warming the containers across the top of the casserole dish, crimping the
and inoculation edges to seal tightly. While holding the aluminum
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

foil or plastic wrap taut so that it doesn’t crush the

Note: Use the quantity of natto starter specified
beans, poke a series of air holes across the top,
by the manufacturer of your starter. It’s usually in
about 1½ inches apart in a grid pattern. If you’re
the range of ⅛ to ½ teaspoon (the variation stems
using plastic wrap, then lay it directly on the beans.
from whether the starter is pure spores or spores
dispersed in rice flour). 6. Place the natto in a relatively humid incu-
bation chamber (see page 114) at 99°F/37°C
1. Soak the soybeans for 18 to 24 hours. Rinse to 113°F/45°C; we have had the best results at
thoroughly. 106°F/41°C. Incubate for 20 hours, or until you
smell a nutty, alkaline aroma and you see a white
2. Steam the soybeans according to the instruc-
film across the top of the beans. Run a spoon
tions on page 54.
across the top of the beans. The spoon should
3. Pour a bit of boiling water into a bowl and a stick slightly, and threads should form behind it.
shallow glass or stainless-steel casserole dish to
7. Place the natto in a sealed container and
sanitize and warm them; let sit for 30 seconds and
refrigerate. Ideally, let it age for 1 week for deeper
then pour the water out into your sink. Pour ¼ to
flavor. It will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to
½ cup of boiling water into the bowl, then add the
5 weeks.
starter culture and mix thoroughly. Add the hot
soybeans to the starter culture and mix carefully.

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 Variation: Black Soybean Natto the black tepary beans are a perfect substitute
We love black soybean natto. The shiny black for black soy natto, given that we cannot source
beans look like jewels, and we find the flavor of the smaller black soy natto. Tepary beans require
the natto made from them milder and sweeter. a long soaking time (20 to 24 hours) and take
While we couldn’t procure the small black soy- much longer to cook (upwards of 2 to 3 hours
beans that are specific to making natto (without on the stovetop), which makes us wonder if this
going to Japan), the ones we did find online were because they are drought-tolerant desert beans.
quite tasty (see the source guide, page 388). We’ve found that the texture is the best when
They have a surprisingly beautiful green inte- the beans are pressure-­cooked for 40 to 45 min-
rior. Soak for only 6 hours, as they can be prone utes. The beans should be soft enough to yield
to sprouting. Make it exactly as you would when squeezed between your thumb and ring
regular natto. fingers, but not mushy. Follow the instructions
for regular natto.
Variation: Tepary Bean Natto 119
Any kind of tepary beans work quite well for Variation: All Other Beans

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

natto. They develop a strong biofilm, yet the In our experience, black-eyed peas formed a
ammonia quality isn’t as pronounced as with reg- decent biofilm, though not as strong as the soy-
ular soybean natto. These native American beans bean or tepary natto. Many other beans do not
come in white, black, and brown. Each variety form a strong enough biofilm to truly be a natto,
has a slightly different flavor. Natto made from or they just don’t taste good. As you experiment
the white beans looks most like traditional natto. with bean varieties, remember that successful
The brown tepary natto has a bit of an earthy, natto is sticky, gooey, and stringy. Follow the
almost smoky flavor. The black smell quite beany instructions for making regular natto.
but have a pleasant, mellow, nutty flavor. We feel

Hikiwari Natto
This traditional variation is made from beans that have been roughly chopped before being cooked.
We tried a few ways to get a similar ferment but found that trying to split up dry soybeans with average
kitchen equipment is not realistic. Cooking the beans whole and and then roughly chopping them before
fermentation was doable with our equipment but made a very strong-smelling natto. The best way to
get that texture is to ferment them whole and then chop the finished natto, as you will see in our recipe
for Tapenatto (page 346).

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 Bacillus-Fermented
Hoppin’ John
Y I E L D: AB OU T 1½ C U P S

This recipe is a fun twist on the simple classic Southern dish Hoppin’ John. The peas are
fermented and then seasoned similarly to the traditional dish, but instead of producing stewed
beans, the result is a mellow side salad that we like to serve with, well, collard greens, of course.
This recipe came about when Christopher was researching the relationship between beans and
flatulence (see box on page 47). We knew that bacillus ferments are very common in Africa, and
that these peas stem from that part of the world.
We ferment the black-eyed peas in the same way we make natto, but the results are different.
The peas are starchier, and the texture and flavor are different. The biofilm is respectable, but not
nearly as abundant. This recipe yields enough to serve as a fun side to a Southern-inspired main
120
dish with plenty of collards, a little mac and cheese or grits, and perhaps fried green tomatoes.
N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

PROCESS natto (page 115) FERMENTATION 20 hours

1 cup (175 g) dry black-eyed peas culture and mix thoroughly. Add the hot beans to
Natto starter (B. subtilis var. natto; see note) the starter culture and mix carefully.

Boiling water 4. Transfer the beans to the casserole dish and

spread in a thin layer, preferably about ½ to 1 inch
AFTER FERMENTATION deep, and no thicker than 2 inches.
3 tablespoons (18 g) thinly sliced scallions
5. Place a sheet of aluminum foil or plastic wrap
1–2 teaspoons (5–10 mL) apple cider vinegar across the top of the casserole dish, crimping the
Salt edges to seal tightly. While holding the aluminum
Sour cream or Koji Cultured Cream foil or plastic wrap taut so that it doesn’t crush the
(page 311), for a creamy version (optional) beans, poke a series of air holes across the top,
about 1½ inches apart in a grid pattern. If you’re
Note: Use the quantity of natto starter specified by using plastic wrap, then lay it directly on the beans.
the manufacturer of your starter.
6. Place the beans in a relatively humid incu-
1. Soak the beans for 18 hours. Rinse thoroughly. bation chamber (see page 114) at 99°F/37°C
to 113°F/45°C; we have had the best results at
2. Boil or steam the beans, following the instruc- 106°F/41°C. The fermentation time will be right
tions on page 52, until al dente, 20 to 30 minutes around 20 hours. You will know when the fer-
(you don’t want them mushy and overcooked). ment is done by checking for good gooey string
3. Pour a bit of boiling water into a bowl and a development.
shallow glass or stainless-steel casserole dish to 7. Serve the dish at room temperature or cool,
sanitize and warm them; let sit for 30 seconds and adding the scallions, vinegar, salt to taste, and
then pour the water out into your sink. Pour ¼ cup sour cream, if using, immediately before serving.
of boiling water into the bowl, then add the starter Leftovers will keep for a day in the fridge.

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 CH EO N G G U K JA N G
(Chongkukjang)
This Korean comfort food is similar to natto and undisputedly a cousin. We’ve often read that the
biggest difference between the two is usage, but we have found that isn’t the full story.

Commercial producers of cheonggukjang use a Cheonggukjang is not traditionally eaten

starter, but many traditional makers still make it raw but is instead made into a simple thick stew
by catching wild B. subtilis. To make it in the tra- (cheonggukjang jjigae).
ditional method, cooked soybeans are placed in This food is as soulful in Korea as chicken
121
wicker trays lined with sheets of cotton muslin soup is for many in the West. And for good
and then placed on stone floors warmed from reason. As an affordable protein, it has kept
underneath by fire. Small bundles of rice straw the poorest populations fed for generations.
(for inoculation) are placed on top of the beans In a very short fermentation period, you can
and then covered with another cotton sheet. A take cheap soybeans and convert them to a
thick blanket is placed on top to tuck in the fer- high-quality functional food. Studies have
ment and keep it around 106°F/41°C. B. subtilis shown that the amount of retinol, vitamins B1
moves in, and the biofilm forms along with the and B2, and niacin increases with fermentation,
strong ammonia smell. Sounding familiar? From and the digestibility of the soy improves by
here, this condiment takes a different path from 30 percent. And as is the case for natto, the con-
natto. Natto ferments for 20 hours, but cheong- sumption of cheonggukjang can improve blood
gukjang ferments for at least 2 days, and more pressure and keep blood clots from forming. It
often 3 days. As you can imagine, this ferment has also been shown to suppress cancer cells.
also develops a stronger aroma than natto and In a study conducted in 2013,21 three antican-
the texture at this point is no longer as stringy. cer factors were explored in three traditional
After fermentation, the fermented beans soybean ferments: cheonggukjang, shuidouchi
are pounded into a chunky paste using a deep (from China), and natto. The researchers found
mortar. Salt and hot pepper powder (gochugaru) that while all had remarkable effects, cheong-
are mixed in. In times past, this paste was made gukjang was most effective in decreasing the
in the fall after the soybean harvest, pressed in growth of respiratory and digestive tract cancer
a clay onggi pot, and buried in the ground for cells and increasing cancer cell death rates.
winter storage. Now it is made year-round and
refrigerated.

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622988_MisoTempeh_FinalPages.indd 122 3/8/19 11:21 AM
 Cheonggukjang
Y I E L D: AB OU T 6 C U P S

In this recipe, the B. subtilis is coming from an inoculant of organic rice or rice hulls, which
are placed in a bowl among the soybeans. We also tried making cheonggukjang using a wild
fermentation because we wanted to make it as traditionally as possible. Both methods worked
(remember that B. subtilis is an easy-to-catch, ubiquitous microbe), but we did get a slightly
better ferment with the addition of the rice hulls. In the name of tradition, we also tried setting up
the ferment with a cotton cloth on a warm surface. We draped half of a sanitized damp towel over
a sanitized glass casserole dish and positioned a small bowl of organic rice hulls in the middle of
freshly steamed soybeans. We then covered the beans with the other half of the towel. We placed
this on a heating pad insulated with thick towels. After 2 days, the beans were solidly sticky and
stinky, just as they should be. We were pleased with the results — until we tried to get the beans
off the towel. We now use the bread proofer.
123

PROCESS natto (page 115) FERMENTATION 2–3 days

N atto and its A l ka l ine C ousins

2½ cups (450 g) soybeans 5. Place the beans in a relatively humid incu-
¼ cup organic brown rice or rice hulls bation chamber (see page 114) at 99°F/37°C
to 113°F/45°C; we have had the best results at
AFTER FERMENTATION 106°F/41°C. Incubate for 2 to 3 days. Check the
Salt beans on the first and second day to make sure
the environment stays humid. If you need to, you
Gochugaru or another chile powder
can place a small jar of water inside the chamber.
A white film will develop in the first 24 hours and
1. Soak the soybeans for 18 to 24 hours. Rinse
you will smell a strong, nutty, ammonia-like aroma.
thoroughly.
Run a spoon across the beans. The spoon should
2. Steam the soybeans according to the instruc- stick slightly, and threads should form behind it.
tions on page 54. On day 2, check that the temperature is constant
and that the beans are not drying out. Ideally this
3. Place the beans in a shallow glass or stainless-­
ferment will go for 3 days, but if the smell is too
steel casserole dish and spread in a thin layer, pref-
strong for you, you can pull it.
erably about 1½ inches deep and no thicker than
2 inches. Fill a small dish with the brown rice and 6. When the beans are finished fermenting,
place it in the center of the casserole dish, moving combine with salt and chile powder to taste in the
some of the soybeans aside to make room. bowl of a food processor. Process in batches until
mashed into a chunky paste.
4. Place a sheet of aluminum foil or plastic wrap
across the top of the casserole dish, crimping the 7. Divide the paste into 1-cup portions. Press
edges to seal tightly. While holding the aluminum each portion together into a ball and place in an
foil or plastic wrap taut so that it doesn’t crush the airtight container. Store in the refrigerator, where it
beans, poke a series of air holes across the top, will keep for 1 week. Tightly wrap any portions you
about 1½ inches apart in a grid pattern. If you’re don’t use in plastic wrap and freeze them. Each
using plastic wrap, then lay it directly on the beans. portion is a perfect base for bowls of soup later.

622988_MisoTempeh_FinalPages.indd 123 3/8/19 11:21 AM

 Eating Sticky Beans novel ways of pairing natto with Western dishes,
When we first started working with natto, we which she displays beautifully on her Instagram
were determined to find recipes to help folks feed @nyrture (check out her natto ice cream!).
begin an enjoyable relationship with this fer- The live bacteria in natto will begin to die off
ment. After spending time with Heidi Nestler at the same temperatures as lactic acid bacteria,
(see page 125), we wondered whether putting at around 105°F/41°C, and those same high
natto in more familiar Western food could be a temperatures can deactivate the enzyme nat-
gateway to enjoying natto in other more tradi- tokinase. However, B. subtilis is a little different.
tional dishes. We had some successes, like our When it sporulates (make more spores), the
natto energy bars (page 371); they are amazing, spores are quite heat resistant and will remain
and you would never know natto is there. Our viable regardless of the temperature, making it
best efforts can be found in part III of this book. to your gut. So you can still reap the gut health
But we also tried natto in recipes where it did benefits of this probiotic bacteria when it is
not belong (and you won’t see those recipes in cooked, because once they reach your gut, those
part III). Hiding natto in foods like lasagna, for spores will germinate, form new cells, and form
instance, would make the whole dish taste like new biofilm.
natto funk. Not that we would have tried that . . . That said, we ourselves are all about flavor,
The truth is that whipped natto on toast, which means that we think sometimes it is okay
with a few of your favorite toppings, is pretty to sacrifice live cells for an amazing dish. We
awesome (see page 345). It’s nutritious, it’s believe in balance and sanity and not getting
inexpensive, and it fills you up. Just wait . . . hung up on all the small “rules.” We believe
natto toast will soon be the new avocado toast. that food should be prepared and eaten with
Another great simple way to enjoy natto is joy and love, and that this is ultimately the most
in a grain and protein bowl to add nuttiness and nourishing.
umami. Ann Yonetani has come up with other Bon appétit.

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 Meet the Maker
Heidi Nestler
Wanpaku Foods
If natto has a Pacific Northwest publicity agent, it’s Heidi Nestler. Not just an aficionado, she has spent
many years teaching, coaching, and cajoling others to love it, even before she started making it com-
mercially. She has taken natto to many festivals and events where she lovingly serves up samples of
nori-wrapped natto and rice garnished with scallions. (She shares her recipe for these hand rolls on
page 344.) At one point, she told us, “I’m out to save the soybean and I am not sure why.”

While we’d each tasted natto before, the 2 days Western palate. In fact, it was this method that 125
we spent with Heidi learning to make and appre- inspired us to make Tapenatto (page 346) for
ciate natto were our true introduction to this this book.
food. It was natto boot camp. Heidi and her son, Heidi also organized a natto tasting party
Ranmu, served us natto in so many traditional for us, where she invited friends to taste nattos
ways, from the simplest — seasoned natto on made with a variety of different beans. Along
rice — to natto served with okra (that’s right: with the soy natto, there were nattos made from
sticky biofilm squared). black turtle, kidney, cranberry, chickpea, adzuki,
In addition to whipping the natto with chop- black soy, red lentil, black-eyed pea, mung, and
sticks, Heidi also taught us another less common orca beans. We all agreed that some of the fla-
way to activate its goodness: she placed it on a vors were not pleasing, others were okay, and
cutting board and used a chef’s knife to chop some were just plain interesting, like the red
the beans until they were the consistency of a lentils, which almost turned into the consistency
roughly chopped olive tapenade. This created a of hummus. As we mentioned on page 119, dif-
very different texture from traditional natto, and ferent beans can be fun to try!
it is perhaps more appealing to the uninitiated

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622988_MisoTempeh_FinalPages.indd 126 3/8/19 11:21 AM
 PTER
HA 6
C

TEMPEH
AND OTHER INDONESIAN FERMENTS

T
empeh is different from the rest of the throughout the cake. When you slice tempeh, 127
fermentations in this book for a couple you will see this clearly: the legumes are knit
of reasons. It originates from Indonesia together in a dense mat of white mycelium.
(more specifically Java), making it stand Lightly boil or steam tempeh in a mixture
out from the other soybean ferments traditional of water and soy sauce (or other aminos), then
to China, Japan, and Korea. And it can easily slice and drop into hot oil for a few minutes and
swing between being either a condiment (fringe) you will experience a savory flavor and satis-
or a main dish (core), or both. fying texture that can easily double for meat in
Tempeh is a white mold–covered cake many dishes. It is a bit of a flavor chameleon,
made from the interaction of a fungus upon taking on the flavor of the marinade or flavored
soybeans (or other legumes, grains, or seeds) oil. Because of the enzymatic breakdown of its
that have been hulled, soaked, and then par- proteins, tempeh adds umami to dishes. For veg-
tially cooked. These al dente legumes and grains etarians, vegans, those on a budget, or anyone
are then acidified during the soaking period looking to eat less meat, it can easily become a
(which acts as a short fermentation) and finally protein-rich go-to. But it is also more than that.
inoculated with rhizopus spores. The resulting Tempeh is quick to ferment, quick to prepare,
fungus is not just on the surface but is woven and highly versatile.

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 A Brief History a lot of momentum after the 1973 oil crisis, and

of Tempeh in 1977, Robert Rodale wrote, “Before long [tem-

peh] will be eaten widely and lovingly across this
All the experts seem to agree that tempeh orig-
land of ours.” William Shurtleff (see page 41) and
inated on the island of Java, one of over a thou-
Akiko Aoyagi, authors of The Book of Tempeh,
sand islands in the Indonesian archipelago. How
crisscrossed the nation giving hundreds of pre-
it began is less clear, but we can assume that
sentations and workshops about the wonders of
it likely grew out of either trade or war with a
tempeh. Participants inspired by their teachings
ferment-­loving neighbor like China or Japan.
formed dozens of companies to make tempeh,
We know that the Chinese mastered the use
cultures, or both, furthering the movement.
of koji to produce soy sauce over a thousand
More than 40 years after Rodale’s prediction,
years ago and would have brought it as a staple
we can say that tempeh is lovingly eaten by con-
on long trading voyages to Indonesia. We also
sumers who are mostly in California, the Pacific
know that one of the names for soybeans in
128 Northwest, or the East Coast, and who make up
West Java is kachang jepun, which translates to
less than 1 percent of the U.S. population. Still,
“Japanese bean.” The Javanese word for soy,
T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

consumption of tempeh is trending upward,

kedele, shows up for the first time in the folk-
riding the wave of increased awareness. Joe
lore tale of Banyuwangi, thought to have been
Yonan, food editor for the Washington Post, sug-
written in the twelfth or thirteenth century. The
gested to his readers in 2015 that they include
story is one of lust, misunderstanding, betrayal,
tempeh in their healthy-eating New Year’s reso-
and, of course, a cast of gods and goddesses.
lutions and rightly pointed out that tempeh has
While very good, the tale isn’t really about
“more character than tofu will ever possess.”
tempeh, but it does establish it as a food many
Still, ­tempeh advocates will have to admit that
hundreds of years ago. It is very likely that the
the dream of a tempeh in every pan is yet to
Indonesians were introduced to soybeans, koji,
be ­realized. We hope some of our recipes will
and the process of fermenting soybeans with
tempt and inspire you.
koji by the Chinese or Japanese, and that the
Indonesians adapted the process to produce
the tempeh we enjoy today. From Java, tempeh Meet the Microbe
spread to the rest of Indonesia and Malaysia, Tempeh is brought about by a diverse group of
and the name became more generalized to refer microorganisms, including fungi, yeasts, and
to any fermented legume or cereal that myce- lactic acid bacteria, but really it is rhizopus that
lium had penetrated and bound together. is the big player here.
Fast-forward to the United States in the 1970s, Rhizopus is both the common name and
when the awareness of the ecological implica- the genus name for a group of molds that, like
tions of our carbon-based lifestyle began the most molds, are found in soil and plant material.
environmental movement. Back-to-the-landers Tempeh is most commonly made from one of
and food crusaders had hope that plant-based two rhizopus species: Rhizopus oryzae and R. oli-
diets and a better utilization of Earth’s resources gosporus, both of which are found in Indonesian
would feed burgeoning populations. There was tempeh. In Indonesia, tempeh makers produce

622988_MisoTempeh_FinalPages.indd 128 3/8/19 11:21 AM

 their starter by placing soybeans in fresh the leaves are opened up and dried for another
unwashed hibiscus leaves, as the fine hairs on couple of days until they are covered with black
the undersurface of the leaves contain the inoc- spores. This dried starter is then crushed and
ulant (the rhizopus fungus, plus a host of other sprinkled over soybeans. Traditionally the inoc-
microbes). Layers of leaves and beans are built ulated beans are then swaddled in banana or
and then bundled together with rice straw. After sometimes teak leaves, though today they are
a few days, the white mycelium appears and mostly fermented in p
­ lastic bags.

Mildly Alcoholic Rice Pudding, Anyone?

In 1974, we were at opposite sides of the planet. Fast-forward to 2018, when Kirsten went 129
For Christopher, in Missouri, pudding came from back to Ambon and tasted these “puddings” with
a box. If there was anything certain from his an adult palate. She loved papeda — both regular

T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

childhood, it was that pudding came from Jell-O and as a sweet pudding. She tasted cassava tape
boxes and it was instant — you could eat it right and was told that traditionally, it is often made by
out of the bowl after mixing. Kirsten was on the men because when tape is made by a menstruat-
island of Ambon in Indonesia enjoying pudding as ing woman it will sour.
well. But there was no box. The consistency of the cassava tape varies
There was nothing instant about the pudding from pudding to pound cake. We haven’t made
Kirsten ate. For starters, a sago palm had to be the pound cake; however, we have made the glu-
felled first. The pudding she ate was made from tinous rice version. It’s supersimple to make once
the lightly fermented starchy pith of said sago you have the starter (called tape ragi ), which is a
palm (called papeda), which is the traditional wonderful cooperation of molds (both Aspergillus
starch, or core, of the Moluccan Islands. She oryzae and Rhizopus oryzae), yeasts, and bacteria.
didn’t love (read: hated) the regular, unsweet- You can purchase the starter (with full instruc-
ened version, but she was all about the sweet tions) from Indonesia very reasonably via the
version made with the local palm sugar. Once in Internet (see the source guide on page 388). This
a while she also ate tape, or tapai (pronounced ferment is quickly assembled in a jar (cooked
“tah-pay”), a Javanese dessert that is both sweet sticky rice with the ragi sprinkled on top), or use
and mildly acidic, almost citrusy, and always the low yogurt setting if you have an electric
pushing to become more alcoholic. It can be multi­use pressure cooker. It is ready to go after a
made with either starch from cassava (tape telor) few days of fermentation. The result is creamy rice
or glutinous rice (tape ketan). You see variations pudding on top and a mildly alcoholic rice wine on
on this theme throughout Southeast Asia and the bottom. It’s like fruit-on-the-top yogurt for
East Asia in China. The same group of microbes adults. A friendly warning: it is quite addictive.
that makes it is also responsible for jiu niang. It is
also fermented further to make an alcoholic bev-
erage that is sweet, not unlike sake.

622988_MisoTempeh_FinalPages.indd 129 3/8/19 11:21 AM

 Modern inoculants are grown on rice or cas- bacterial contaminations, which can include
sava powder. In Western countries, tempeh pro- coliform, salmonella, or other pathogenic bac-
duction has been turned over to microbiologists, teria. But don’t stop reading, because here’s the
who create pure cultures. Back in 1980, when thing: rhizopus protects itself and ultimately
Betty Stechmeyer and her husband, Gordon us by producing antifungal and antibacterial
McBride, began GEM Cultures (see page 16), compounds.
they produced the only widely distributed tem- An article published in the International
peh starter: Rhizopus oligosporus, specifically Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science on the
NRRL 2710. This strain came from the USDA uses of R. oryzae in the kitchen states, “To our
Northern Regional Research Lab in Illinois. best of knowledge, no toxin production by R.
At that time, R. oryzae wasn’t available in the oryzae has been reported in scientific litera-
United States to tempeh makers. ture. Actually, the Rhizopus species has been
Here’s where the science gets interesting. used on the one hand, as a detoxifying agent
1 30 Studies have shown that many types of fungi against food toxins . . . and on the other hand, to
have been isolated in Indonesian market tem- increase the digestibility of certain legumes.”22
T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

peh, many of which are in the R. oligosporus The legumes the researchers are referring to are
family. Others include, of course, R. oryzae, African yam beans, which, while a great source
but also R. stolonifer, R. arrhizus, and R. formo- of low-cost protein, have several barriers to
saensis. We have talked to some scientists who wide consumption, including that they cause
hypothesize that a diverse array of cultures high levels of flatulence and diarrhea in many
(as opposed to the industrialized version that people. Oh, and they take 4 hours of boiling
isolates just one) is better for our microbiome. to reach an edible state. The researchers made
However, some of these fungi have potentially tempeh with African yam beans, cooking them
harmful effects. R. arrhizus, for example, is a for only 30 minutes before fermenting them,
known food spoiler, and these traditional home- and the process reduced the chemicals responsi-
grown starters come with the risk of adverse ble for the negative effects by 97 percent.

Which Rhizopus Do I Choose?

Both Rhizopus oryzae and R. oligosporus are stronger in the non-soy ferments. In soy-based
readily available online (see the sources listed ferments, R. oryzae was comparable.
on page 388). Is one better than the other? We Whichever starter you decide to purchase,
have undertaken many side-by-side trials where it is important to make sure that you keep your
the only thing that varied was the culture. It was supply moving and fresh. We have found that
fascinating to see how differently the cultures the starter cultures weaken over time, even when
reacted. Sometimes R. oryzae would start faster stored in the freezer. Buy smaller amounts more
but then R. oligosporus would give us a stronger often. If you suspect your starter is getting weak,
mat. We didn’t come out with a definitive answer, double the amount called for.
but in our experience, R. oligosporus was always

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622988_MisoTempeh_FinalPages.indd 131 3/8/19 11:21 AM
 Meet the Maker
Gunter Pfaff and Betsy Shipley
Betsy’s Tempeh
Timing is everything. Gunter Pfaff and Betsy Shipley were 50 years old and living in Michigan when
the 1980s recession found Gunter, a documentary filmmaker at Michigan State University, first under­
employed and then unemployed. Enter tempeh. In 1980, Organic Gardening magazine ran an article
titled “Hello, Tempeh Lovers.” Soon after Betsy read it, she happened upon a small tempeh starter kit
at the East Lansing co-op where she shopped. The kit contained a pound of hulled soybeans, starter
culture, and instructions. She bought it as a birthday gift for Gunter.
132
In order to incubate the tempeh, Gunter and for the tempeh. As an alternative, Gunter rigged
Betsy spread the inoculated beans on a covered up an old refrigerator with a lightbulb.
tray in the oven, with a lightbulb and a thermo- One day as Gunter was driving along some
stat. The fermentation worked, and they loved back roads through Michigan farmland, he saw
the tempeh. They began to make more for them- two cement oceangoing yachts being built.
selves. For Betty, a vegetarian, it was a great way Curious (Michigan is landlocked, after all), he
to get protein into her diet. For Gunter, it was stopped to talk to the builders and learned that
the beginning of the end of his love of bratwurst. they were using ferrocement — a waterproof,
With Betsy’s marinades, tempeh would soon mold-proof building material. He was already
replace the flavors and texture Gunter sought in thinking about the perfect tempeh production
the sausages. facility. He had read The Book of Tempeh (1979)
As Betsy and Gunter made more tempeh, and Tempeh Production (1980) and now added
the oven proved problematic. The first chal- Stanley Abercrombie’s Ferrocement: Building with
lenge was that covering the tempeh with a clean Cement (1978) to his reading list.
cloth allowed air currents to interface with the Gunter began drawing up plans for a building,
tempeh more freely, causing uneven mycelium diving into the state licensing process, looking
coverage. The second was a matter of quantity. for equipment at auctions, and most impor-
If they made more than one tray, the oven was tantly experimenting like crazy. The modern
too warm in the last 12 hours, when the mold standard method of incubating tempeh, even
was making its own heat, and the batch would in Indonesia, was to place inoculated soybeans
overheat. And then there was the small matter of into plastic bags perforated with tiny holes and
forgetting that the oven is off-limits for 22 hours incubate it on racks in warm rooms. Gunter knew
and turning it on to bake (a problem that many there was a better way, despite being told “it
of us who use our ovens as incubators share). By can’t be done.” He just needed to figure it out.
the time the smell reminded them, it was too late University researchers had developed the plastic

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 bag method in the mid-1960s after trying myriad They dreamed of seeing worker-owned tempeh
techniques, including perforated stainless-­steel production co-ops throughout the land.
trays with air circulated around them, but the Everywhere they went, the response to their
results were poor and the bags won out. Gunter’s tempeh was amazing. In 1993 and 1994, Gunter
genius was in seeing the connection between received patents for his “apparatus and method
water bath temperature regulation and the for culturing plant materials as foods.” Now,
stainless-­steel trays. Gunter started growing though, Gunter and Betsy were at the point
batches of tempeh on stainless-steel trays sus- where they had to decide whether they wanted
pended in temperature-controlled water. There to grow the business. They decided instead
was no waste, the trays were reusable, and the to retire. They spent a few years trying to find
tempeh was much tastier. someone to take over the business, but to no
Eventually Gunter hand-built an ecological avail. In 1996, Betsy’s Tempeh closed.
tempeh fermentation facility with a 14-tray fer- Retirement was good and included moves 133
menting system, and on June 21, 1987, Betsy’s to sunny places and plenty of tennis, but Betsy
Tempeh opened for business. Their first sales shared that they didn’t make tempeh for quite
were to the very same East Lansing co-op a few years until one day Gunter happened to
that Betsy had bought the little tempeh kit see some hulled soybeans for sale, brought them
from seven years earlier. They received imme- home, and made a small incubator out of a picnic
diate feedback that their tempeh was good. cooler. It was now in the early 2000s, and they
Descriptions ranged from “mild” and “buttery” were in drought-prone Southern California, and
to “firmer” and “more meaty” than the bagged it bothered Gunter that every time he made
versions, which were a bit slimy and bitter, with a tempeh there was wastewater. He designed a
rubber mouthfeel. It was a hit. Folks also wanted dry incubation system for making tempeh and
to know why it was different. received a patent for this dry system in 2015, a
Gunter believed that his tray method was few months after he passed away. His system is
superior because the fermentation was unre- being brought to market by DuPuis Group under
stricted. He also speculated that some of the the name TempehSure.
bitter taste and textural challenges endemic to Gunter still had a lot of things he wanted to
bag-fermented tempeh were because the tem- explore, including the question of why his tem-
peh must have access to oxygen and needs to be peh’s mouthfeel was so good. Or understanding
able to get rid of other gases; in other words, it the role of the banana leaves in the traditional
needs to breathe. Indonesian method of incubation. How much
Over the next years, Betsy and Gunter trav- “breathing” takes place? How much cooling
eled to co-ops, fairs, and trade shows, demon- through transpiration happens, given that the
strating their production method. They wanted leaves are still green? He and Betsy dreamed of a
to do more than just sell their tempeh; they tempeh institute, where all the beans, grains, and
wanted to see this food adopted as a staple, and starter cultures could be researched to make all
Gunter’s method brought that flavor profile up. kinds of protein-rich food.

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 Health Benefits have them within us, too. Whenever we eat, our
There is a reason why so many people have pancreas secretes these enzymes into our intes-
been working to make tempeh a staple in the tines, and each enzyme goes to work processing
Western diet: its health benefits are impressive. carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. In the case of
Like natto and miso, it enjoys the functions people who have exocrine pancreatic insuffi-
associated with fermented soybeans — specifi- ciency, these enzymes aren’t sufficiently pro-
cally, lowering cholesterol, increasing bone den- duced, so not enough nutrients are absorbed by
sity through improved calcium uptake, reducing the body, leading to weight loss, abdominal pain,
menopausal symptoms, and improving muscle vitamin deficiency, and worse. As part of their
recovery through better protein bioavailability. treatment, patients are given synthetic enzymes.
Unlike miso, it is also extremely low in sodium, Tempeh comes not only already loaded with the
yet high in fiber and easily digestible. Like the necessary enzymes but with much of the enzy-
other fermented legumes and grains, tempeh matic work of digestion already done.
1 34
has positive effects in preventing diabetes and The rhizopus isn’t making a magnanimous
minimizing blood sugar spikes. Finally, tempeh gesture to feed us; it’s feeding itself. Warning:
T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

is uniquely high in vitamin B12 and natural anti- here comes the biology bit. The lipases that
biotics. To understand all of these attributes, our body produces digest the fat in our food —
let’s look a little deeper. mostly triglycerides, which cannot pass through
The process of making tempeh falls into our intestinal wall to our bloodstream — into
three phases: the initial soaking fermentation, fatty acids. The fatty acids are then loaded
the cooking, and finally the mold fermentation. into our bloodstream, where they are sent to
Between the first and final stages, vitamins and our organs as energy. The rhizopus is doing
minerals are enhanced, bioavailable essential the same thing: it’s secreting lipases to cre-
amino acids and fatty acids are unleashed, and ate fatty acids to use as energy for its mold.
antinutrients that typically keep the vitamins Similarly, proteases break down proteins into
and minerals locked away from our bodies are their building blocks — amino acids — for
drastically reduced. To believe these benefits, rhizopus’s b
­ enefit. As this happens, some key
we wanted to know more about the science vitamins — like iron, vitamin B12, magnesium,
behind them. and folic acid — that were locked up in pro-
The first two stages of making tempeh — the tein complexes are freed, making them more
initial soaking, with its spontaneous lactic acid available to us when we eat tempeh. Finally,
fermentation, and the cooking — are also used amylase breaks down the starches and carbo-
to prepare legumes for natto. What makes tem- hydrates in our food into simple sugars so that
peh unique is the last step of fermentation by our body can more easily absorb them into our
mold. Rhizopus species of fungus produce three bloodstream to become energy. In unfermented
enzymes — lipases, proteases, and amylases — legumes, some of these complex sugars are not
to digest the substrate, be it soybeans, chick- easily broken down by our body and pass all
peas, hazelnuts, or whatever. There is nothing the way through to our colon, where they are
magical or foreign about these enzymes. We digested but produce flatulence. However, with

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 the fermentation process, these complex sugars Making Tempeh
are removed and the simple sugar glucose is
created, which is likely what gives tempeh its
at Home
Why make your own tempeh? Here are a few
sweet-savory taste.
reasons.
That is the increased nutrition side of the
First, fresh tempeh has more flavor and
health benefits, but there is another: the reduc-
a better mouthfeel than most of the tempeh
tion of antinutrients. During tempeh produc-
you find at the grocery store. That tempeh has
tion, antinutritional compounds are reduced by
either been pasteurized and vacuum-packed
at least 65 percent, and in some studies, some
or left unpasteurized but immediately fro-
of the antinutritional factors were reduced by
zen. Both processes are done to stop the fer-
as much as 90 percent.23 This is a good place to
mentation process and to preserve the food.
talk about antioxidants because they are a major
Nevertheless, there are some really great com-
benefit of tempeh. First, we need to understand
mercial products on the market. So even if you 135
that there are unstable molecules in our bodies,
never see yourself making it at home, you could
known as free radicals. We know, not a com-

T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

still incorporate some tempeh into your diet.
forting thought, is it? Actually, free radicals are
Second, making tempeh at home gives your
part of normal metabolism and oxidation, but
inner food artist a brand-new and exciting
if there are too many of them, they can lead to
canvas. Your medium is the substrate for the
oxidative damage in some important parts of
rhizopus, so think up flavorful combinations of
us, like our DNA. They can also weaken our
legumes, grains, seeds, and nuts to try. The first
body’s defensive mechanisms and possibly
time we had a steaming bowl of ayocote morado
trigger conditions like rheumatoid arthritis,
beans, Christopher fell in love with their hearty
Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s. Enter
consistency and vowed to tame them in a tem-
antioxidants, which, as you can guess from their
peh, which he did, eventually. (You will find a
name, fight this oxidation process when it runs
recipe using these beans on page 174.)
amok. Tempeh made with soybeans contains
Finally, it’s just so cool. You start out with
high levels of isoflavones, and a number of stud-
dry beans in a jar from your pantry and you
ies have concluded that isoflavones and other
end up with this tasty bean cake of your own
phytochemicals in tempeh lead to a high level
creation. As you will see in this chapter, there
of antioxidant activity.24 Maker Chad Oliphant
are many ways to eat tempeh, and many of the
(see page 154) believes tempeh also acts as a
dishes you see on Instagram or websites are
substrate for our gut flora, providing nourish-
made with very plain soybean tempeh from the
ment for them.
store. Making your own, customized to what
you have in your pantry or what you expect to
come through in the dish, takes cooking and
enjoying to a whole new level.

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 Making Tempeh: not be enough to ensure that the acidity is ade-
quate to keep salmonella from growing in the
An Overview tempeh. Adding vinegar or lactic acid (which
Making tempeh is pretty straightforward, can be purchased online) is a simple way to
though it requires a bit of attention. Once the ensure a good tempeh.
mycelium metabolizes the substrate, it creates Vinegar or lactic acid can be added in var-
its own heat, increasing the temperature. If ious stages of the fermentation — in that first
the mycelium gets too hot, it will die, and the soaking water, in the water that the beans are
substrate will become an ideal medium for cooked in, or on the beans themselves right
contaminating microbes. After about 12 hours before inoculation. Our profiled tempeh makers
of incubation, it is important that you monitor each have a preferred spot. Chad Oliphant of
the ferment carefully, at least for your first few Smiling Hara (page 154) suggests adding lactic
attempts, until you understand the vagaries of acid to the soaking water, while Tara Whitsitt
136 your incubation space. Once you understand the (page 168), who was taught by tempeh innova-
basic technique and get into a groove, you will tor and whisperer Barry Schwartz (of Barry’s
T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

find tempeh making fun and delicious. Tempeh in Brooklyn), puts the vinegar in the
Making tempeh has five distinct steps: soak- cooking water. Jon Westdahl of Squirrel and
ing and acidifying, dehulling, cooking, inoc- Crow (page 141) adds raw apple cider vinegar to
ulating, and incubating. If you start step 1 in the hot drained beans before drying and inocu-
the evening of day 1, you should be able to pull lating. Some people feel that lactic acid does the
out your beautiful finished tempeh cakes on job better, but most agree that vinegar works
the afternoon of day 3. For example, start your well. We have found that regular apple cider
beans after dinner on Friday night, and you can vinegar, raw apple cider vinegar, and white dis-
be serving homemade tempeh tacos for dinner tilled vinegar all work equally well. Choose a
on Sunday afternoon. Though 3 days may seem vinegar with a 5 percent acidity and add 1 table-
like a long stretch, don’t worry; the microbes spoon per batch. Lactic acid is available online
will do the work and don’t need much help and at many brewing or homesteading supply
from you. stores. Look for 88 percent food-grade lactic
acid and use 1 tablespoon per batch.
Soaking and Acidifying Now that we have given you so many options
Soaking your tempeh substrate (whether beans, you might be thinking, “What should I do?” We
grains, seeds, or nuts) softens it, and as we decided to “ask” the flavor. We made count-
discussed in chapter 3, it is the first fermen- less batches of tempeh trying to figure out if
tation — it breaks down these foodstuffs into there were any discernable flavor differences
foods that our bodies can more easily assimilate. between vinegar and lactic acid, or between
After the substrate is soaked, it needs to be acid- adding the acidifier at one stage versus another.
ified. Acid isn’t traditionally added in Indonesia We found that adding vinegar to the soaking
because lactic acid bacteria naturally acidify the water sometimes gave us a sour tempeh — as
substrate during the soaking period. However, in, it tasted like pickles. (This can also happen
in a temperate climate, an overnight soak may when the mycelium growth is weak and bacteria

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 move in— see troubleshooting on page 373.) can, instead, boil the beans whole, then roughly
Instead add lactic acid to the soaking water for chop them with a knife or a food processor. This
a more neutral end flavor. At this point it will method works really well for most common
also neutralize any ammonia made by bacterial beans, especially runner and lima types, as they
enzymes early on, though we have never had a have very starchy interiors and thick skins. As a
problem (that we know of) with that. Since we general rule, as you play with the medium, you
prefer to use our own raw apple cider vinegar, will find that the ways in which you treat the
we generally add it after cooking and draining, ­substrate will change your outcome.
before cooling and drying. In short, we recom- If you are making grain tempeh, as is the
mend lactic acid during the soaking or vinegar case for beans, the outer layer of whole grains
right before inoculation. Feel free to follow the must be broken so that the mycelium can get
instructions on your starter if it is conflicting. through. This may mean that the grains need
to be cracked, hulled, or pearled. We have also
Dehulling found that a long soak will open up some grains, 137
If you are making whole bean tempeh, dehulling such as wild rice.

T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

is the next step. The hull needs to come off, or
at the very least be broken apart, so that the Cooking
mycelial threads can get inside to the starches, A successful tempeh starts with beans that are
which they need in order to thrive. Soybeans are cooked to the right consistency. You want them
easier to dehull than most beans. We find most to be al dente; beans that have burst are over-
of the common beans are much more difficult — cooked and often make a poor tempeh. You can
so difficult that we choose not to dehull them, either pressure-cook or boil them — it’s really
but chop them coarsely after cooking. You can a matter of personal preference. Sometimes we
also choose to use beans that are already dehu- prefer to boil them because it allows us to keep
lled — like split peas or chana dal (split chick- an eye on the beans on the stovetop. The one
peas) — and skip this step entirely. exception is tepary beans, which take forever
Get on your Zen mind-set, because it takes to cook on the stovetop (3 to 4 hours) versus
a while. We have found they are significantly 45 minutes steamed in an electric pressure
easier to hull if we have let them soak for more cooker. To steam beans, place them in a steamer
than 12 hours. Our method is to keep the beans basket and place a small amount of water in the
submerged in plenty of water, then pinch or mas- pressure cooker. When cooking any beans in
sage them — whatever it takes to free the beans. a pressure cooker, it is important to steam, not
Then we pluck out the floating hulls and repeat. boil, them. Place no more than 2 cups of water
You don’t need to get every single hull off the in the bottom of the pot and place the beans in a
beans, nor do you need to pluck out every stray collapsible steamer basket. We found that hulled
hull — the errant hulls will just add a little more soybeans are done in 9 minutes at high pressure.
fiber. If you can get into a rhythm, it can be relax- We have included times for other beans in Some
ing. If you have tried it a few times and find that Notes on Other Tempeh Substrates, page 144.
you are not a Zen master of hulling — and instead To boil beans and any grains, place them
you want to scream “what the hull!” — then you in a pot, then cover with water. Bring to a boil

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 and skim off any flotsam, in the form of hulls ff Towels. Spoon the legumes and grains onto
and foam, that floats to the top. Again, don’t clean towels and then pat dry. The toughest
worry about catching all the hulls. The beans part of this technique is getting everything to
and grains should be cooked thoroughly but let go of the towels. (And your towels must
not mushy. As soon as they are done, drain into be quite clean so as not to add impurities.)
a colander so that they begin to cool and stop
cooking. Don’t rinse. Spread them on a clean During the process of drying off the beans
baking sheet or casserole dish in order to allow and grains, the temperature will come down but
more steam to dissipate (this helps them dry). they should still be warm. Before you add the
Stir in the vinegar if you haven’t soaked with spore powder, make sure they’ve cooled to body
an acid. temperature (about 98°F/37°C). Inoculate your
cooked legumes and grains with the rhizopus
Inoculating starter and stir to incorporate it evenly through-
1 38 To inoculate your freshly cooked legumes and out. If your substrate has cooled below body
grains, you need them to be two things they temperature, you can still inoculate it — just
T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

aren’t right out of the pot: at body temperature watch during the first hour to make sure you’ve
and damp (somewhat dry to the touch but not brought it up to temperature. You don’t want it
dried out and definitely not wet). Wet beans to be cool for too long.
(especially soybeans) will have a sheen and
once dry will look dull. Don’t worry — you will Incubating
get a feel for the right moisture level. Once the We will cover two incubation techniques:
beans and grains have finished cooking, drain plastic bags in hot air and trays in warm water.
them, then transfer them to a tray and spread Both will bring your tempeh to the same place,
them out evenly. Usually by the time they are which is fully formed mycelium encasing your
cool (in about 5 to 10 minutes), most of the legumes and grain.
excess moisture has dissipated, but they will Through much of our recipe testing, we used
likely need a little more help to finish drying. the bag method in our dehydrator and in our
We have tried three methods of drying cooked bread proofer with similar results. The key to this
beans and grains: technique is spacing the holes in the plastic bag
ff Dehydrator. Spread the legumes and grains evenly, separating them by about the width of a
as thinly as possible on dehydrator trays and U.S. quarter, and using something small like the
dehydrate at 145°F/62°C until the excess tip of sharp ice pick or darning-size sewing nee-
exterior water is removed and they are moist dle to poke the holes. If the holes are too big, you
but not wet. This can be as quick as 5 to could get premature sporulation around the holes.
10 minutes, or up to 20 or 30 minutes. When we came across the work of Betsy
ff Hair dryer. Carefully stir the legumes and Shipley and Gunter Pfaff (see page 132), we
grains on the tray while drying with the hair had to try Gunter’s ferment terrarium, so we
dryer, being careful not to get too close or built one (see the instructions on page 29) and
you will have them everywhere. it became our new favorite way of incubating

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 Tempeh from the Source
K I R S T EN W R I T E S : The heart of tempeh pro- At the entrance of this open air “factory”
duction is in Java. I was on the island of Ambon in were 500 kilos of steamed soybeans piled high
the heart of the Moluccas known for nutmeg and in large plastic baskets, where they dried in the
cloves, not tempeh, yet I was determined to talk to open air as they cooled. The maker explained
a tempeh maker. I was told repeatedly, “Tempeh how important it is that they dry or the tempeh
is not made here, only Java,” but I’d seen fresh will go bad. He then showed me the ragi (rhizo-
tempeh in the market, some of which was only pus spores) and rice flour. The ragi is mixed with
half-fermented. The market vendors didn’t under- the rice flour to disperse it. Most of the tempeh
stand me — they just pointed to the east. From starter cultures that are sold commercially in the
what I knew about transportation in the region, it United States are already dispersed in rice flour; if
couldn’t be coming from Java. I kept asking. yours is not, you can add it to a tablespoon or so
Finally, a cook in the hotel said he knew where of rice flour.
139
some Javanese tempeh makers had a shop. A few As he emphasized the rice flour, I saw that his
days later he took me there on his day off, on the inoculated beans had a slightly heavier dusting

T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

back of his small motorcycle. We wove through than we were used to seeing on our tempeh in the
the streets along with all the other small motor- United States. When experimenting with some
cycles. He turned into an alley and I noticed the non-soy tempeh, we found that adding just a
huge piles of firewood stacked along the walls bit of rice flour (about a teaspoon per pound of
of buildings. When we pulled into one of these substrate) gave the rhizopus some easy food and
places I realized we were there, and the firewood helped it establish.
was the fuel to cook soybeans.

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 tempeh. The key to this technique is to get soybeans peeking through, but the cake will
your proportions and your pan size working predominantly be white. The total incubation
together so that your bean and grain layer is time can be anywhere from 24 to 36 hours.
about ¾ inch thick. If it is too thick, you might After this point, tempeh moves into the realm of
develop anaerobic conditions in the center of overripe. If it still hasn't finished, something is
the legumes and grains, which will cause poor likely wrong (see troubleshooting on page 373).
mycelium growth there. When the tempeh is done, refrigerate, freeze, or
Incubate your legumes and grains at about eat fresh.
88°F/31°C (85°F/29°C to 90°F/32°C is your
workable range) for 18 to 24 hours. After about Storage and Pasteurization
12 hours, begin taking the temperature of the Fresh tempeh has a limited shelf life due to con-
substrate with a thermometer. If you have a tinued microbial enzymatic action. When stored
remote-read thermometer, you can poke it into too long, the tempeh will turn brown or black
1 40 your substrate and leave it in place. Otherwise as the fungus begins to sporulate. It will also
check manually. Adjust the settings of your heat develop an ammonia smell. In Indonesia, where
T empeh and Other I ndonesian F erments

source accordingly to keep the temperature in refrigeration was not traditionally possible, aged
the proper range. Remember that the microbes or overripe tempeh is referred to as tempe bosek,
will generate their own heat, so you will need which you can read more about on page 153.
to adjust your external heating downward as When Chad and Sarah eat tempeh at home, they
the ferment continues, to the point where you said they often let it age for 3 to 4 days. Tempeh
may need to cut off the external heat source. has many health benefits, but unlike a number
Multiple bags in a small chamber can raise of other ferments, it isn’t meant to be consumed
the temperature so much that everything can raw for probiotic effects. So, pasteurization does
quickly overheat and go bad. not detract from its benefits and will give you
After 18 to 24 hours, the white spores will a longer period in which to use your tempeh
begin to noticeably knit everything together, fresh. On the other hand, some people believe
giving them the appearance at first of a dusting that pasteurization detracts from the flavor. We
of snow, then more like sidewalk pebbles ris- ourselves like tempeh when it is fresh. Every
ing up through a clean snowfall. At this point, day that you wait to eat it can change the flavor.
the tempeh is doing its thing and doesn’t need In Indonesia, Kirsten saw tempeh for sale at all
an outside heat source (assuming comfortable stages of development at the market, including
room temperature). If you are using a water recently inoculated bags of beans. Given the
bath, keep it on. The temperature-­controlled tropical temperatures, buying it partly done
water serves to cool tempeh, keeping it at just in the morning will give you fresh tempeh
the right temperature. In a dry incubation for dinner.
space, turn off the heat source and let the To pasteurize means to heat food for a
mycelium continue to grow for an additional sufficient period of time to destroy certain
6 to 12 hours, or until the tempeh has become microorganisms, and in this case to keep the
a firm white mycelium cake. You will see your tempeh from continuing to ripen. To pasteurize

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 your tempeh, simply cover to keep in moisture few more. If pasteurized, it will stay good in the
and bake it for 30 minutes at 180°F/82°C right refrigerator for at least 5 to 7 days, and often
after it comes out of incubation. If you do not close to 2 weeks. Pasteurized or not, it will keep
wish to pasteurize it or don’t intend to eat it for many months in the freezer. When we pas-
within 1 week of making it, you should freeze it teurize our tempeh, we usually keep some for
immediately. the week and then freeze the rest. Thaw frozen
Store tempeh in a single layer in an airtight tempeh in the refrigerator, directly in a mari-
container in the refrigerator. If unpasteurized, nade if you like. Once it is thawed, use it within
it will easily keep for 3 to 4 days, and maybe a a day and do not refreeze.

Meet the Maker

Jon Westdahl and Julia Bisnett
Squirrel and Crow
Jon Westdahl and Julia Bisnett began experimenting with tempeh in 2014. By 2015 they were making
small batches commercially in Portland, Oregon. Unlike most makers, they never made soy tempeh.
Instead, they began with everything but soy, and now they regularly use lentils, chickpeas, peanuts,
­quinoa, peas, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, nixtamalized corn, buckwheat, toasted coconut, and heir-
loom common beans — some of which are pictured on page 143. They make small batches and still
experiment — the running joke is “will it tempeh?”

We asked Jon what advice he has for a home (red lentil) — because they will be dehulled.
tempeh maker who is looking to see “what will On cooking he says, “obviously each bean is
tempeh.” He said that it is all in the dehulling different, but once the pot starts boiling they’re
and cooking. His advice is to look for any bean close to done. Mushy beans, where the starch
with the word “dal” after it — moong dal (mung has ­ruptured to the outside of the hull, are nearly
beans), chana dal (chickpeas), urad dal (black impossible to get dry enough to grow mold on.
lentils), toor dal (pigeon peas), or masoor dal There is no space, and it’s just a mess.”

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