Some foods are impressive. Some are photogenic. And then there are foods that quietly steal your heart while you’re standing on the side of the road wondering if you should get one more portion.
That’s jadah tempe.
We first tried this iconic Javanese snack while travelling through Kaliurang exactly a year ago, a breezy mountain town just outside Yogyakarta. The air was cool, Mount Merapi was looming somewhere behind the clouds, and there we were — happily holding a warm parcel of glutinous rice and tempeh wrapped in banana leaf that, in a way, reminded us of onigiri (Japanese rice balls).
So… What is Jadah Tempe?
At first glance, jadah tempe looks deceptively simple:
• Jadah – sticky rice pounded with coconut until it’s chewy, rich, and slightly salty
• Tempe bacem – tempeh gently simmered in coconut water, palm sugar, garlic, and spices, then lightly fried
That’s it. No garnish. No drama. Just two things that happen to be extremely good together.
The jadah is soft and chewy. The tempeh is sweet, savoury, and deeply satisfying. Together? A perfect little bite of balance.
Eating Jadah Tempe in Kaliurang hits different
Kaliurang is known for its mountain views and laid-back pace, and jadah tempe fits right in. It’s usually sold by small vendors who clearly know exactly what they’re doing — and have for a long time.
We remember standing there, eating it warm, slightly burning our fingers because we couldn’t wait. The tempeh had soaked up every bit of its marinade. The rice was fragrant with coconut. No frills, no fuss—just comfort food doing what it does best.
Honestly? It’s the kind of food that makes you stop talking for a minute.
Right near the birthplace of tempeh
What makes jadah tempe even cooler is where you’re eating it. Kaliurang sits not too far from Surakarta (also known as Solo), one of the regions most closely tied to the origins of tempeh itself.
This part of Java is where tempeh grew up — not as a “plant-based protein,” but as everyday food. Affordable, nourishing, and made fresh. Jadah tempe is very much part of that story. It’s tempeh doing what it’s always done: feeding people well.
A little food memory we carry with us
Moments like this shape how we think about food. We grew up eating tempeh in Indonesia, and dishes like jadah tempe are part of why it feels so familiar and grounding to us.
So yes — jadah tempe is “just” sticky rice and tempeh. But if you’ve had it in Kaliurang, on a cool day, fresh off the stove… you know it’s so much more than that. Which is why we’ve definitely joked about serving it one day at the Guelph Farmers’ Market. No promises… but also not not promising.