RRI.CO.ID, Boston - After learning directly from local tempe producers in Surabaya, Eas Java, four Indonesian expatriates now run a tempe, or soybean cake, factory in Somersworth, United States, producing thousands of packages. Under the brand BOStempeh, they promote a positive image of Indonesia with the slogan BOStempeh Brings Indonesia to the United States.

Daniel Kurnianto and his wife, Meylia Handayani Tio, are the driving forces behind the business. Together with fellow couples Octavianus Asoka and Aristiya Dwiyanti, they established BOStempeh in 2020, after three years of operating as a home-based venture.

Their motivation was simple, that they love tempe. But building BOStempeh required years of preparation and research to achieve consistently high quality.

They learned production techniques from Soetono Liem, the Surabaya tempe maker behind Hienak through UD Pendekar Tempe Sakti, an experience that helped them master the production process.

The four founders acknowledged they lacked deep knowledge of tempe-making. Among them, only Octavianus had professional food-processing experience. Meylia, for example, comes from an education background.

Meylia comes from an education background and earned a degree from Boston University on a full scholarship from the US Department of State and the Kelly Elizabeth Stephens Memorial Scholarship (KESSA) in 2005, focusing on bilingual education. She completed her undergraduate studies at Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga, Central Java.

Meylia’s studies brought her to Boston, where her husband Daniel initially accompanied her. Early in Meylia’s program, Daniel secured a job at a U.S. biotechnology firm, which led the couple to settle in Massachusetts after Meylia returned briefly to teach in Salatiga for two years following graduation.

Aristiya, who holds a graphic design degree, played a key role in BOStempeh’s marketing. “We kept experimenting, searching for recipes, and reading books on fermentation. We wanted to produce a consistently high-quality product,” said Meylia on Monday, July 27, 2026.

Daniel’s manufacturing engineering skills supported their quality efforts. A Red Dot Award 2024 winner for his espresso equipment BOSeTAMPER, Daniel designed advanced methods to support tempe production.

He also developed IoT-controlled systems to stabilize temperatures and optimize fermentation, enabling real-time remote monitoring.

Home-scale trials produced promising tempe. Daniel and Meylia take pride in hygienic processing from production to packaging, ensuring the tempe has good shelf life.

They named their brand BOStempeh, with BOS referencing Boston as the starting point (alpha) and their aspiration to become a leader (omega) in the US tempe market. The word tempeh uses the international spelling to preserve the pronunciation of the final “e.”

Sales began to grow, delivered directly to consumers without distributors, a model they maintain, allowing BOStempeh to reach customers across US states. As demand rose, their home business expanded into a factory in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

“Last year (2025), we shipped about 15,000 packs of tempe, each weighing 200 grams,” Meylia said, noting their product is raw tempe ready for cooking.

BOStempeh’s customers include Indonesians living in the US and Americans who enjoy tempeh. Customer feedback on BOStempeh’s website is largely positive.

“This is the best tempeh I’ve eaten since moving to the US," said Arezha Batalogianis from New Hampshire.

"Delicious tempe delivered to my door. Fantastic!” wrote New Yorker Kees FaesenKloet.

Although BOStempeh is gaining recognition in the US, the founders continue active promotion. Daniel, Meylia, and their partners aim to expand into markets unfamiliar with tempe. They regularly participate in cultural events and bazaars and are considering producing tempeh-based processed products.

Meylia emphasized the challenge of navigating strict US regulations. BOStempeh follows all applicable rules, and they are careful not to harm Indonesia’s reputation abroad.

“If the brand is tarnished, it’s not just a personal matter. It reflects on our home country,” she said, as quoted by Antara.

Above all their achievements, Meylia stresses the importance of introducing Indonesia to the US through tempe. For her and the BOStempeh team, Indonesia remains the foundation of their work. “Indonesia is a beautiful home with unique qualities the world should know,” she said.

BOStempeh is part of that effort, an informal diplomacy from far away. “We want the American public to know our culture as fellow citizens of Indonesia,” added Meylia. ***