Durian flesh salted and fermented into a sour paste, cooked with fish or chilli. It is a Sumatran and Malay preserve made when durian gluts the market, keeping the fruit for months after the season ends.
It is a long ambient ferment in a sealed jar with a light salt dose, and the salt ratio that keeps it safe is set by practice rather than by measurement; jars of tempoyak are sold in every Malay and Sumatran market.
What goes into it
- ripe durian flesh
- salt
- sometimes a bird’s eye chilli dropped into the jar
How it is made
Durian flesh is stripped from the seeds, salted lightly and packed into a sealed jar, then left at room temperature for a week or more while lactic bacteria sour it into a soft, pungent paste. It is kept sealed and used a spoonful at a time; the jar is not opened often.
How long it takes: a week to several months
How it is eaten
Cooked with freshwater fish in a sour curry, fried into sambal, or eaten with rice.
History
A Sumatran and Malay preserve made when durian gluts the market, keeping the fruit for months.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tempoyak?
Tempoyak is a fermented & pickled from Indonesia: durian flesh salted and fermented into a sour paste cooked with fish or chilli. A Sumatran and Malay preserve made when durian gluts the market, keeping the fruit for months.
How is Tempoyak made?
Durian flesh is stripped from the seeds, salted lightly and packed into a sealed jar, then left at room temperature for a week or more while lactic bacteria sour it into a soft, pungent paste. It is kept sealed and used a spoonful at a time; the jar is not opened often. It takes a week to several months.
Can I make Tempoyak at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a long ambient ferment in a sealed jar with a light salt dose, and the salt ratio that keeps it safe is set by practice rather than by measurement; jars of tempoyak are sold in every Malay and Sumatran market.
What goes into Tempoyak?
Ripe durian flesh, salt, sometimes a bird’s eye chilli dropped into the jar.
How is Tempoyak eaten?
Cooked with freshwater fish in a sour curry, fried into sambal, or eaten with rice.
