JAKARTA - Changes in people's consumption patterns and the increasing trend of healthy food make tempe still maintain its position as one of the traditional foods that are close to the lives of Indonesian people.
This fermented soy food is not only known as a source of plant protein, but is also considered a part of a cultural identity that is passed down from generation to generation.
The Ministry of Culture assesses that the existence of tempe shows how a tradition is able to survive and develop without losing the values that are its foundation.
The presence of tempe in various regions with various processing methods is proof that cultural heritage can continue to be relevant in the midst of the development of time.
"Tempe has proven its resilience in adapting to the development of time without losing the roots of traditional values, especially in the midst of the trend towards healthy food patterns," said Director General of Diplomacy, Promotion, and Cultural Cooperation Endah T.D. Retnoastuti in the celebration of National Tempe Day in Jakarta, as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 17.
In addition to being part of the food culture of the community, tempe is also seen to have great economic value. Its production and distribution involve many business actors, ranging from household scale to larger industries. This condition makes tempe not only function as a daily food, but also as a driver of a culture-based economy.
According to Endah, tempe is currently being proposed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB) to UNESCO. This step is in line with the government's efforts to strengthen food security while encouraging sustainable economic development.
The submission is also expected to expand the world's recognition of tempe as one of Indonesia's cultural assets. On the other hand, the process becomes a momentum to strengthen the preservation and development of tempe culture so that it remains alive in the community.
A similar view was expressed by the Chairman of the National Tempe Forum, Hardinsyah. According to him, the value of tempe cannot be seen only from the food aspect alone because it contains a long history, culture, traditional technology, to aspects of food security and the environment.
"Tempe culture is considered to represent Indonesia's local wisdom in managing food sustainably and shows how a local tradition can contribute to global solutions related to health, food security and environmental sustainability," he said.
Tempe is also considered a reflection of the ability of the Indonesian people to develop food processing technology that has been passed down from generation to generation. Knowledge about the fermentation process, selection of raw materials, to production techniques has been part of the social life of the community for centuries.
The General Chair of the Food Nutrition Association, Ahmad Sulaiman, assessed that tempe should be understood as a complete cultural system, not just a food product.
"Tempe as one of the cultures of the community, so tempe is not only considered as a product, but the whole knowledge and traditional technology of social and cultural practices, community values and a system of cultural inheritance that live in Indonesian society," he said.
He also emphasized that the Indonesian people had known and practiced fermentation technology long before the concept of modern biotechnology was widely developed in the world. Therefore, tempe is considered to be one of the proofs of the wealth of traditional knowledge of the archipelago that still survives to this day.
Through various values it has, ranging from cultural aspects, traditional knowledge, to sustainability, tempe is not only part of the daily menu of the Indonesian people. More than that, tempe represents a cultural heritage that continues to live and grow, as well as showing Indonesia's contribution in building a sustainable food system.
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