Changes in Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Gunungkidul’s Lamtoro (Leucaena Leucocephala) Tempeh during Extended Fermentation

Abstract

Abstract Lamtoro tempeh is a fermented food in Java, made from lamtoro (Leucaena leucocephala) seeds. Its extended fermentation creates a unique flavor and taste that can be used as a seasoning. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the chemical (moisture, ash, soluble protein, and amino acids contents) and sensory characteristics (brownish color, ammonia aroma, umami taste, and overall acceptability) of lamtoro tempeh from Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, during extended fermentation for up to 120 hours. The chemical and sensory characteristics were analyzed every 12 and 24 hours respectively. From multiple comparison tests, tempeh with the longest fermentation had the strongest sensory characteristics. Other results showed that extended fermentation increased moisture content up to the highest amount of 74.6% (wb) at 96 hours and 3.55% ash content (db) at 60 hours, as well as soluble protein from 3.02% to 22.62% (db) at the end. Moreover, glutamic acid decreased during fermentation and aspartic acid had the highest amount afterwards. Investigating microbial changes in the food’s unique characteristics during this process is required.