BosTempeh was formed by two young Indonesian professional couples from Boston, Massachusetts, despite their non-culinary backgrounds.

Meet the first couple. Daniel Kurnianto works as a Design Engineer for Lab Automation. He discovered a way to create tempeh without the use of preservatives. His partner, Meylia Tio, from Kudus, is a Boston University graduate who works in higher education. She is in charge of the management of BosTempeh.

 

 

 

 

 

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Then there's the second couple. Aristiya Dwiyanti or Tia is a photographer with a background in graphic design. Tia is in charge of assisting with the product's design, including the packaging. Her partner, Octavianus Asoka or Octa, is the only one with experience in food manufacturing. Octa oversees the tempeh-making process.

"[We chose the BosTempeh name] because we began in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. So 'Bos', as in, Boston, and 'Bos' as in boss, leader. So those are the origin of the name BosTempeh," Daniel explained the origin of their business' name.  

As to how BosTempeh first came to be, it was his partner who retold the story. "It all starts with love. So, because he loves his wife so much, Daniel tried to find out how to create tempeh, then bought a tempeh guidebook. [After several trials and errors], he was able to make tempeh himself. It was amazing."

The company offers its fresh tempeh for $3.5 (Rp 50,000) per package, available for shipping to any city in the U.S. Customers of BosTempeh include both Indonesian diaspora and Americans, and most of them enjoy its culinary products so much they spread the word about them on social media.

Tatyana Figueiredo, a social media influencer, is one of them. She highlighted how she enjoys BosTempeh goods. "I've never had tempeh with this flavor before. Normally, I prepare a little first, but this is much better eaten raw."

The key behind this, according to Tia, lies in the packaging. "Because we dream big, we immediately have to enhance the quality in design, in marketing, in everything, and yeah, my main duty is how we package and show this tempeh product so that it is appealing to the market."

Of course, running a tempeh business in a foreign country is not a cakewalk. According to Octa, the task is a tremendous undertaking for them. However, as they transform the cottage business into a major player in the region, they enjoy the new challenges they have encountered so far.

BosTempeh manufactures its products in the Somersworth area of Strafford County, New Hampshire. They produce approximately 1,000 packs a month. Presently, its long-term goal is to make more tempeh-derived goods such as the traditional American chips but made with tempeh.