What would Indonesia's first president Sukarno say if he were alive today about the strike by tempeh producers in Jakarta over the soaring price of imported soybeans, the main ingredient in the fermented soya cake that is a major item in the nation's diet?

Sukarno, in some of his speeches to arouse national pride and dignity, coined the phrase "we are not a tempeh nation". In those days, tempeh was considered a poor man's meat, widely consumed in Java, where the process to make it originated, and later across most of the Indonesian archipelago.

In retrospect, Sukarno may have chosen the wrong analogy because of the growing recognition of tempeh over the decades as a nutritious and healthy food.

But in those days, Indonesia was a very impoverished country, and therefore Sukarno was not all that wrong to say that, in spite of what we ate, we should remain a proud nation.

The few Indonesians already in the upper class of the economy then would rather be dead than be seen eating tempeh. Such was the nation's psyche when it came to tempeh, thanks in some measure to Sukarno.

Forty something years later, Indonesia remains a "tempeh nation" in almost every sense of the phrase except in the context of Sukarno's comment.

In spite of major progress in our income, tempeh as well as tahu (tofu), another derivative of soy beans, are popular staples and are found on the tables of most Indonesians, rich or poor.

Since tempeh remains relatively cheaper than meat, chicken and fish, it is still widely consumed by the poor. More than half of Indonesia's 240 million people live on less than US$2 a day, which the World Bank considers to be the poverty level. For many, tempeh is still an important part of their diet.

Tempeh, however, also remains popular among those who have moved up the economic ladder, and unlike 40 years ago, many would now willingly be seen eating it in public.

This may be partly out of habit. Over the years, some Indonesian and foreign chefs have created hundreds of different ways of cooking and serving tempeh, and they are all delicious. It is often served in the town's finest restaurants.

Because of the growing health awareness among the wealthy, especially in the last two decades, many people are cutting back on fat and cholesterol in their food. They have found tempeh can be a rich man's meat, too, and it certainly is much more nutritious and healthy than a hamburger. In the West, where the fad to eat less meat started, tempeh is a popular item in health food shops.

It is therefore sad that in spite of growing consumption of tempeh in this country since the days of Sukarno, Indonesia has became increasingly dependent on imported soybeans. As in the case with rice, Indonesia is also at the mercy of the vagaries of the global market when it comes to tempeh.

We saw the impact of this this week, when tempeh and tofu producers in Greater Jakarta decided to stop work in protest at soaring soybean prices, and forced poor people to scramble for less attractive (and less nutritious) alternatives.

Today, according to the government, Indonesia imports 1.3 million tonnes of soybeans annually, representing about 70 per cent of its needs.

In spite of its popularity and nationwide consumption, you can hardly call tempeh the nation's staple food if the main ingredient is still mostly imported. That simply defies the definition of national food security, where we are supposed to grow most if not all the product locally.

World soybean prices have more than doubled in the past year, reflecting a growing global demand, while supplies are falling behind. Soybean traders have also had to factor in the rise in transportation costs due to higher oil prices.

Going by the events of the past few days, Indonesia is obviously not prepared for this. The government's decision to waive the 10 percent import duty on soybeans will have little impact on prices.

Unless there is a government intervention to subsidise soybean prices (and this is unlikely), most Indonesians had better prepare themselves to pay more, probably much more, for their tempeh from now on. Either that, or cut back consumption and find alternatives.

Does that make Indonesia still a "tempeh nation" in the way Sukarno interpreted the term?

Sukarno would probably say yes, not because we have continued to eat tempeh after all these years; but more for the reason that we have been so stupid as to ignore the warning signs. Tempeh became an important part of the national diet, but we still allowed ourselves to remain dependent on imports for its raw materials.