Rhizopus oligosporus
Japanese: テンペ菌（Rhizopus oligosporus）
A filamentous fungus that produces tempeh, Indonesia's traditional fermented soybean food. A species of Rhizopus that binds soybeans with white hyphae, improving protein digestibility.
Tempeh mold is a type of mold that produces tempeh, Indonesia's fermented soybean food. Formally Rhizopus oligosporus, it belongs to the bread mold family.
When inoculated onto cooked soybeans, its white hyphae bind the beans together into a firm, cake-like block. Because the hyphae break down proteins, digestibility improves dramatically, and B vitamins increase.
Alongside Japanese natto, tempeh is a food that transforms soybeans through microorganisms—yet the microbes and mechanisms are entirely different. While bacteria create natto's stickiness, mold binds tempeh with hyphae. From the same soybean, different microorganisms create different worlds.