History of soybeans

China - Soybeans first took root in northern China in the 11th century BC, where they were among the first crops grown by humans. The first written record is a 2200 B.C. agricultural manual advising Chinese farmers how to get the most out of their crop. The ancient Chinese honored soybeans as one of the five sacred grains essential to the existence of Chinese civilization, and considered soybeans to be both food and medicine. Over the next few centuries, the Chinese domesticated the wild soybean plant. Soon, however, the rest of the world would discover the virtues of this versatile plant.

Rest of Asia - By the first century AD, soybeans appear to have spread to central and southern China and Korea. In the 7th century, soybeans made their way to Japan and then to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal, and northern India.

Europe - Missionaries brought soybeans to Europe in the 17th century, but climate and soil conditions were unsatisfactory.

USA - Soy was introduced to the USA in the early 19th century (originally as ballast on returning clipper ships), but soy cultivation in the USA did not expand dramatically until after 1945.

History of tempeh

Indonesia - Tempeh processing may be the oldest food technology in the history of the Javanese people. Serat Centhini, a book published in the 16th century, indicates that tempeh was already being produced and consumed at the time of its publication. Tempeh may have been introduced by the Chinese, who make a similar product, soybean koji, which is dehulled soybeans fermented with Aspergillus molds. The use of Rhizopus as a tempeh starter in Indonesia may have been due to its better adaptation to the Indonesian climate. The earliest reference to tempeh by a European appeared in a Javanese-Dutch dictionary in 1875. The rise of tempeh's popularity in Java and its spread to other parts of Indonesia and other countries around the world began in the 20th century. In the 1970s, the banana leaf as a container for the production of tempeh was replaced by the use of plastic bags.

Europe - In Europe, tempeh is known through the Dutch, who once colonized Indonesia. In 1895, Dutch microbiologist and chemist Prinsen Geerligs made the first attempt to identify the tempeh mold. The first tempeh companies in Europe were established in the Netherlands by immigrants from Indonesia. The first article written in English appeared in 1931 in the book "Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies", written by J.J. Ochse. The earliest popular article about tempeh was a 7-page story published in France in 1982 in Le Compas.

USA - In the USA, tempeh has only been known since 1946 with the publication of  "Possible Sources of Proteins for Child Feeding in Underdeveloped Countries", in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the 1960s, there was renewed interest in tempeh with tempeh research at Cornell University (New York) and the USDA Northern Regional Research Center (Illinois). In 1961, Mary Otten was the first to begin making tempeh. Much of the credit for introducing tempeh to the American public goes to The Farm, a large spiritual and farming community in Summertown, Tennessee.
The first commercial tempeh store was opened in 1975 by Mr. Gale Randall in Undadilla, Nebraska. An article by R. Rodale in "Prevention" in June 1977 brought him and his shop national prominence.
In the 1980s, as the tempeh industry expanded, the media showed new interest and many articles appeared in scientific journals. By 1983, about 1 million pounds of commercial tempeh were being produced.

Developing countries - In the 1940s, Van Veen tried to introduce tempeh to Zimbabwe. But efforts to introduce tempeh as a cheap source of protein in Zimbabwe and other developing countries (Africa and South America) have failed mainly because the local populations have no experience with mold-fermented foods.

Current trends - In Europe, the U.S. and other industrialized countries, interest in tempeh is increasing due to growing interest in health, nutrition and vegetarianism.