Fermenta Collective: Tempeh, from Home to Berlin

For Feydrea & Sam, tempeh is more than a meat substitute. It's a food they grew up with, cooked in many different ways across Southeast Asia, and one that carries stories of home.

This month, Fermenta Collective welcomes an Indonesian and Singaporean duo with shared Peranakan roots. In this hands-on workshop, they'll share their memories of tempeh, talk about where it comes from and the many ways it's made and eaten, and show you how to make it here in Berlin. Together we'll look at what happens when a food with a long history meets the ingredients and kitchens we have here, with a few German twists along the way.

We'll finish around the table with a simple home-cooked Peranakan dinner featuring tempeh, so we can taste and talk together.

Come curious, come hungry, and come ready to make something with your hands.

What to bring
Materials and utensils are provided on site to share. If you have them, please also bring:

For the workshop: 1–2 large bowls (bigger than your palm), a mesh strainer, clean kitchen towels

To take your culture home: a 0.25–0.5 L jar (Sturzglas) or a perforated metal container, an insulated bag or thick towels, and a heating pad

Optional: 150–250 g of your own beans, if you'd like to work with a particular kind. Please bring them cooked, chilled and, if possible, peeled. Tinned or jarred beans don't work well because of the extra water and additives.