RETRACTED ARTICLE: Unveiling the cultural tradition and science of Indonesian fermented ethnic soybean paste: tauco

Tauco is a fermented soybean paste that originated from the acculturation between Chinese and Sundanese ethnic groups in Cianjur. This product has become an integral part of Indonesian culinary traditions. Tauco is commonly utilized as a seasoning ingredient and is incorporated into a variety of Indonesian dishes. Tauco is made through fungal solid-state fermentation, followed by aging in a salt brine. During fermentation, the nutrients in soybeans undergo biochemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes naturally secreted by microorganisms. This process produces many functional substances, enhancing tauco’s nutritional and health benefits. This review comprehensively discusses the cultural aspect, traditional fermentation process, biochemical transformations during fermentation, as well as nutritional and functional properties of tauco. The review also addresses major challenges faced by traditionally fermented tauco, such as high salt content, the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and mycotoxins, and inconsistencies in quality. It concludes that establishing scientific quality standards and innovating fermentation processes are potential solutions to these issues and can enhance the safety of traditional tauco products in the future.