Background
This experiment involved blackening emmer tempeh over the course of a month at 140°F, a process similar to making black garlic. At this temperature, the enzymes created by the mold (rhizopus oligosporus) are relatively active: a mixture between proteases, amylases, and lipases. The proteases break down the proteins, forming amino acids which provide umami, but also the interesting flavor precursors, which, when roasted, form complex and rich flavors. This is very similar to the process by which chocolate is fermented and then roasted.
Recipe
Ingredients
Emmer Tempeh
Equipment
Dehydrator or Proofer
Instructions
- Blackening
Place the tempeh in a dehydrator or proofer set to 140°F. Leave for one month until fully blackened.
Notes and Observations
- When removed, the result had the taste of raisins and dark chocolate, with a soft, raisin-like texture.
- Unlike blackened soybean tempeh, there was hardly any mushroomy taste; it was almost entirely sweet.
- Interesting applications may include a range of desserts, but also savory applications like mole. It could fill a similar place in a pantry to chocolate.
- A portion was later dried, ground with sugar, and made into a blackened tempeh sugar. The taste is unique—fruity and chocolatey but altogether hard to describe.
- You may be able to get rid of the raisininess and sweetness by using grain presscake - devoid of the starch - to prevent the digestion of that starch into sugar. If this was then roasted, you’d risk burning less, which may make for a better coffee or chocolate substitute.
- Also, like making douchi, it may be interesting to wash the mold off once and let it regrow so as to increase the concentrations of enzymes in the substrate and yield a stronger flavor. It may also reduce any mushroomy taste that arises from the mycelium - though this was basically non-existent in this test to begin with.