Preparation and preferences of peanut-tempeh, peanuts fermented with Rhizopus oligosporus

In the present study, to develop a new, soft and nutritious peanut product (P-tempeh) to encourage their consumption, peanuts were steamed and were fermented with Rhizopas oligosporus. P-tempeh was suggested to have more free fatty acids than ordinary peanuts and to be readily digestible. Frying and roasting proved to be the preferred ways to prepare P-tempeh. Fried, roasted or steamed, P-tempeh was rated as being more flavorful than soybean-tempeh (S-tempeh), but had 1.7 times the calorific content of soybean tempeh. However, when P-tempeh was prepared with peanuts substituted with 20% quinoa (P(8)Q(2)-tempeh), the calorific content decreased to 1.2 times that of S-tempeh. While this made it less preferable in comparison to P-tempeh, it remained comparable with S-tempeh. When P(8)Q(2)-tempeh was pre-seasoned with miso, taste scores improved and were similar to those of P-tempeh. Based on these results, when prepared properly, P(8)Q(2)-tempeh tastes good, and is a very nutritious and digestible new food source that holds considerable promise.