Tauco are salted soy beans, either yellow or black, fermented and made into a paste.
In the first stage of fermentation, the bean skins get covered with a mould.
In Indonesia, the beans are sold tinned whole, not made into a paste yet. In Indonesia, the paste is mostly made from yellow soy beans, and may have tapioca or corn flour added to thicken it. The paste is sold in bottles, the whole beans in cans.
The paste can also be sold sun-dried, shaped into small cakes; you have to rehydrate it before use
The paste is used as a condiment.
Both the beans and the paste have a strong smell.
History Notes
Tauco was brought to Indonesia, by Chinese immigrants.
Language Notes
Tauco is pronounced “tow cho.”