Tauco

Tauco
	Bottled tauco on display in an Indonesian supermarket
Alternative names	Taucu, Tauchu, Tao Jiew
Type	Cookingsauceandcondiment
Region or state	Southeast Asia
Associatedcuisine	Indonesia,Singapore,Malaysia,Brunei,Thailand
Created by	Overseas Chinesein Southeast Asia
Main ingredients	Fermented soy
Variations	Closely related todouchi
	Media: Tauco;

Tauco,Taucu,Taotjo,Tao JieworTauchu(Chinese:Đậu tương;pinyin:dòujiàng;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:tāu-chiùⁿ;Thai:เต้าเจี้ยว,RTGS:Tao Jiew) is a paste made frompreserved fermented yellow soybeansinChinese Indonesian,MalaysianandThaicuisines.^[1]Tauco is made by boiling yellow soybeans, grinding them, mixing them with flour, and fermenting them to make a soy paste. The soy paste is soaked in salt water and sun-dried for several weeks, furthering the fermentation process, until the color of the paste has turned yellow-reddish. Good tauco has a distinct aroma.^[2]The sauce is also commonly used in otherIndonesian cuisinetraditions, such asSundanese cuisineandJavanese cuisine.Taucu is generally used in cooking by ChineseMalaysians,Singaporeans,Bruneians,andThais.^[3]

The sauce is often used as a condiment and flavouring for stir-fried dishes such astahu tauco(tofuin tauco sauce),kakap tahu tausi(red snapperwith tofu in soybean sauce), in soup such asswikeeoh(frog legsin tauco soup) andpie oh(softshell turtlein tauco soup), or stir fried withkangkung(water spinach). Today the major production centre of tauco in Indonesia are inCianjurinWest Java,andPekalonganinCentral Java.In Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei, the main commercial brand of taucu isYeo Hiap Seng(Yeo's).^[4]^[5]In Thailand, the sauce is often used in stir-fries, such asPad Mee Korat& stir-fried vegetables, and also dipping sauces such asKhao Man Gai.