Tape: The Fermented Starch Tradition

Tape (pronounced *ta-peh*) — fermented cassava (singkong) or glutinous rice (ketan) — is Indonesia's foundational fermentation, present across every major island from Sabang to Merauke with only species and technique variation. The fermentation agent is ragi tape, a dried cake of moulds and yeasts (*Aspergillus rouxii*, *Rhizopus oligosporus*, *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*, *Candida* species) that first saccharifies the starches, then partially converts the resulting sugars to alcohol and organic acids. The resulting product is sweet, soft, slightly alcoholic, gently sour, and profoundly fragrant. Sunda (West Java) tape traditions are the most documented, with Bandung's tape singkong considered a regional specialty.

Tape Singkong / Tape Ketan — Fermented Cassava and Glutinous Rice

Not yet written for this entry.