JAKARTA - Today's Google Doodle is decorated with an illustration of a mendoan tempe. This unique work was apparently produced by an illustrator from Semarang, Central Java, Reza Dwi Setyawan. The doodle features an illustration of a mendoan tempe wrapped in banana leaves that is seen being cut above the talent.
A woman is also seen in the picture carrying a large bowl filled with mendoan tempeh, regular fried tempeh and soy sauce as a complement. There is also a fried brother next to a woman in pink. He is seen frying tempeh in a typical fried cart as is often seen in Indonesia.
Through the official Google page, Reza said he was proud to have the opportunity to make an illustration of his favorite food. According to him, there are emotions to create artwork from what he experiences every day, including consuming mendoan tempeh.
"As an Indonesian, almost every day I eat tempeh on my plate, especially tempeh mendoan as side dishes. Having the opportunity to make illustrations of something very close to me is certainly very interesting. There are emotions and everyday experiences that I try to catch in works of art," said Reza, quoted on Saturday, October 29.
Tempe mendoan is one of the fried tempe varieties in Indonesia which is an iconic part of this country's cuisine and was declared a Takbenda Cultural Heritage today in 2021.
"Because tempeh is around me, I describe what I see every day how we interact and face the dish every day."
Tempe mendoan itself is known as a fermented food and is already 400 years old. Usually made of soybeans, but can be made from nuts, seeds, and other nuts with the same fermentation process.
The first time, tempeh was documented in the 1600s in Tembayat Village, Klaten, Central Java, Indonesia and recorded in the Centhini Serat, a compilation of twelve volumes of Javanese stories and teachings, was written in the form of poetry and published in 1814.
People around the world usually eat tempeh instead of meat, combined with rice and vegetables.
Although fairly simple, this food has various health benefits, such as improving the health of the intestines and the brain. Rich in nutrients such as protein, fiber, prebiotics, and vitamin B12, this minimal processed soybean-based food is a popular choice for most people in Indonesia and appears among health lovers around the world.
Many leaves can be used to wrap tempeh during fermentation.waru leaves, teak, and guava are some of the oldest, while banana leaves are the most popular in Indonesia.
There are many ways to eat tempeh, but because of its delicious taste, fried tempeh has become the most popular tempeh dish. Usually combined with various types of chili sauce and sweet soy sauce.
With the presence of tempe mendoan on Google Doodle, Reza hopes that this one food can go global.
"I hope tempeh is better known outside Indonesia. Tempeh is a simple food with extraordinary benefits," said Reza.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
