Description
Tahitian taro preservation is a lactic acid fermentation of boiled taro roots in a salt brine that yields a sour, slightly sweet paste.
Technical
Boiling gelatinizes the starch, reducing raw starch content and making sugars available for fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria metabolize these sugars to produce lactic acid, lowering the pH to 4.5–5.0 and inhibiting spoilage organisms. The acidic environment also imparts a characteristic sour flavor while preserving the paste for up to two weeks when refrigerated.
Science
Primary Reaction
Fermentation of starch-derived sugars by lactic acid bacteria to lactic acid
Sensory Profile
Aroma ()
sourearthysweetfermentedsubtlemildly pungenttropical
Origin & History
Civilization