Tapai is a sweet dish made from fermented starches such as rice, cassava root, plantains, or sweet potatoes. Ragi is used to start the fermentation process, which converts starches into sugar and alcohol. The longer the fermentation, the sweeter and more alcoholic the tapai becomes.
Tapai is a dish served mainly in East and Southeast Asia and the Philippines. It is made from a starch such as rice that has been fermented for days until it develops a sweet taste and the sugars have been converted into alcohol. Sweet tapai is considered a treat or dessert in many regions and can be complemented with other sweet foods such as coconut or dried fruit. While the dish is usually made from glutinous rice, it can also be made by fermenting plain rice, cassava root, plantains, or sweet potatoes. When finished, the tapai is traditionally wrapped in banana leaves to be stored or sold in a market.
One aspect of tapai preparation that gives it its unique character is the fermentation process. Using a collection of bacteria, yeasts and molds, the starches in food are converted into other forms, such as sugar and alcohol. This is often done using a product known as ragi. Ragi is a dried, uncooked piece of rice that has been powdered and mixed with water and various other ingredients in a way that supports yeast and bacteria, creating a solid, dry appetizer. Ragi is used by squeezing it into the food to be fermented, transferring any starter cultures found within it.
The types of foods used to make tapai usually have a high amount of starches. This is because starch is what cultures use as food and what is converted to provide flavor. The chosen food, be it rice, potatoes or cassava root, is first cooked until it is soft and the natural elements within have developed. After the food has cooled to room temperature, ragi is added and the whole mixture is placed in a container, where it is left to ferment for three days or more.
As the tapai ferments, the sugars develop to make it sweeter and it also begins to expel a liquid that collects at the bottom of the container. The liquid is actually alcoholic rice wine, and the amount produced is directly related to the amount of starch in the food being fermented. The longer the fermentation takes, the more alcoholic the tapai will become. There is a time during fermentation where the character of the food will change and cause the sweet taste to turn to sour taste as certain acids start to dominate the blend. Although some people find it desirable, others think the tapai has ruined it.
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