Eating Tape

 

Tape is a fermented Indonesian food (pronounced tah'-pay).  It consists of two kinds: Tape Singkong, which is made of cassava and Tape Ketan Hitam which is made of black sticky rice. I was introduced to Tape Sinkong by Robin Higgins' husband Wayne when I was visiting them on Bali.  Tape Singkong is made by fermenting cooked cassava using rice yeast.  This process lasts four or five days. Tape Ketan Hitam is made using a similar process with rice.  It is often served with ice cream as a treat during Eid.

As is the case with many fermented foods, tape is reputed to have several health benefits associated with foods containing probiotics including assisting with digestion, preventing anemia, and killing harmful bacteria and fungi in one's system.  Preliminary research suggests Tape Sinkong may lower cholesterol, but that research is in its early stages. Some say tape can even help those suffering from hemorrhoid disease, but I hope that I am never required to test tape's effectiveness in treating that particular problem.

Tape Sinkong is a bit mushy in texture and you have to watch out for small strands of unchewable fiber inside, but it has a slightly sweet, agreeable taste with a hint of alcohol flavor. I like it and find it a pleasant snack, though Robin disagrees with Wayne and me and finds it rather unpleasant. I enjoy Tape Ketan Hitam somewhat more than Tape Sinkong.  It has a more agreeable texture, is a little sweeter, and it is apparent why Indonesians use it in dessert.  The alcohol flavor in the rice tape I ate was even more pronounced than that of the Tape Sinkong I consumed, but in actuality the strength of the alcohol in the tape is dependent on the length of the fermentation process that is used in the manufacturing process regardless of the type of tape being made.

Speaking of alcohol, I was curious about this product and whether it was Halal, since there was no doubt in my mind after tasting tape that it did have a noticeable alcohol content.  But as you can see from the label of the tape I purchased, it is fully certified as Halal.  I did some research and found that tape was in a tricky borderline category and had been a source of controversy in the past.  However, religious authorities made the determination that tape was an acceptable halal product and it was cleared for everyone's consumption.  I won't explain here how this determination was made, but if you Google "Is tape Halal?" you will find an interesting discussion of this topic.

One of the joys of living abroad is learning about unfamiliar foodways and this new adventure has been particularly tasty and fun. If you happen to be in Indonesia and would like a refreshing treat filled with probiotics, then tape just might be the product for you.