Tauco Cianjur:

The Symbols of Sundanese and Chinese Ethnic Harmony in Cianjur

Widyastuti and Rahmad Efendi

Tourism Destination Management, Bandung Intitute of Tourism, Bandung Indonesia

Social Researcher, AKATIGA Center of Social Analysis, Bandung, Indonesia

Keyword: Tauco, Culinary, Acculturation, Sundanese, Chinese, Cianjur

Abstract: Tauco Cianjur is well known as one of the traditional dishes typical of Cianjur Regency, West Java, which

has become a culinary icon from Tatar Priangan’s homeland. In addition to Cianjur, Tauco is also known as

a spice in various other regions in Indonesia with different characteristic flavors. Tauco was first introduced

as a supplementary spice of authentic Chinese food and extends to several regions and even other countries

in Asia. Tauco is a seasoning or complementary dish made from raw soybean seeds (Glycine max) which is

fermented with other ingredients. There is something interesting about the Tauco phenomenon in Cianjur.

Tauco is the result of an acculturation of Chinese culinary culture with Sundanese Cianjur ethnic. However,

for the Cianjur community, tauco has become part of their identity. This raises the question, how did the

Tauco Cianjur process become part of the Sundanese Cianjur community? To answer these questions we

use qualitative research methods, in the form of historical and ethnographic research. The research

instrument in this study uses in-depth interviews with informants with snowball sampling techniques. This

research records the inheritance of knowledge about the origin, changes in tastes and raw materials, and the

process of receiving Tauco as part of the Sundanese Cianjur identity. That knowledge hints that Tauco is a

bridge connecting two different communities. In this case, Tauco as a food product has a value that is more

than just food, namely as a symbol of acceptance and strong trust. Tauco developed into a symbol of social

loyalty and harmony in diversity in Cianjur society today. Of course, this wisdom should be preserved and

extended its impact through various positive activities such as the development of creative industries,

culinary tourism and others.

1 INTRODUCTION

Indonesia has been known to the world as a culinary

paradise. Various special offerings were born from

Indonesian earth. Call it Rendang, Sate, and Nasi

goreng (fried rice) which is recognized as the most

delicious food by world citizens. Various special

offerings were born from nature which is rich in

food raw materials, from the rich culinary traditions

of the community, as well as the influence of

interactions with various international communities.

Throughout history, Indonesia has been involved

in trade contacts with foreign countries because of

its very strategic location. This contact will

inevitably give color to the culture of Indonesian

people, and food is one of them. Some of the

Indonesian foods are indeed noted to have been

influenced by Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese and

European culinary arts.

Chinese culture is one that has contributed

greatly to the culinary wealth of Indonesia. In the

everyday life of Indonesian citizens today, there is a

variety of culinary that seems to have become an

inseparable part of Indonesian society and culture.

Call it for example Tofu, Vermicelli, Meatballs,

Noodles, Watermelon, Sekoteng, Bakpia, Capcay,

Grass Jelly, and many others.

The culinary variety is a culinary influenced by

Chinese culture. This can be simply proven by

tracing the origin of the words used. In the book

Loan Words in Indonesian and Malay written by

Russell Jones (2007), the culinary names mentioned

above are listed as vocabularies absorbed from

Chinese. Because the historical process is quite long,

so it does not feel anymore that this word comes

from Chinese.

Likewise, the cuisine of Tauco. Although widely

known as a typical dish from Bumi Tatar Priangan,

Widyastuti, . and Efendi, R.

Tauco Cianjur: The Symbols of Sundanese and Chinese Ethnic Harmony in Cianjur.

DOI: 10.5220/0009883201350146

In Proceedings of the 1st NHI Tourism Forum (NTF 2019) - Enhancing Innovation in Gastronomic for Millennials, pages 135-146

ISBN: 978-989-758-495-4

135

Cianjur, West Java, but who would have thought,

Tauco is a culinary originating from China. From

the origin of the word, Tauco comes from its

pronunciation in the Hokkien dialect of Chinese.

The Chinese Tauco character is written as "

豆醬

which consists of tau "

豆

" which means beans, co "

醬

" which means thick soy sauce. Tauco is known

as a seasoning made from soy fermentation

preserved with salt.

Figure 1: Tauco Monument in Cianjur. Doc: Public

Government Relation of Cianjur

The growth of Tauco in Cianjur based on

historical records was first introduced in 1880. It

was marked by the establishment of the Tauco

business in the Cianjur which was founded by a

Chinese resident named Tan Kei Hian. Over time,

100 years later, Tauco grew up as a souvenir from

Cianjur. Then in 2017, the Cianjur government

determined that Tauco was one of the three original

authentic products of Cianjur, besides Beras Cianjur

(Rice of Cianjur) and Manisan Cianjur (Fruits and

Vegetables Candied of Cianjur), which was marked

by the inauguration of Tugu Tauco on June 24, 2017

(Cianjur Regency Government, 2017).

The phenomenon of the development of Tauco

from culinary brought by the Chinese people into

Cianjur's unique identity is an interesting

phenomenon to be studied. In this case, Tauco as a

cultural product of Chinese society managed to

blend in, was accepted and even recognized as an

important part that represented Cianjur. It is

interesting, to find out why Tauco is accepted as

Cianjur's unique identity and how this process

occurs.

In this paper, we read the Tauco Cianjur as a

window to look over the food will be more than just

as “something to eat”.. The food as a media's

diplomacy in cross-cultural interaction and can be a

window to see the political dynamic, economic,

social, and culture that occurs in society.

In this paper, we use the Anthropological

perspective in looking at a food phenomenon.

Globalization that has happened since the past has

certainly led to contact and linkages between various

societies and cultures. This linkage can lead to

conflict, or acculturation or assimilation. The arrival

of the Chinese in Cianjur is an example of this

situation. In this case, it will be seen how Tauco as a

cultural product becomes operational. How tauco

managed to become a tool to interact, become a

medium and a symbol of mutual trust, solidarity and

tranquility in the Cianjur community.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This research raises food as a symbol that is not only

limited to food, but there is a meaning behind it.

Over time, culture changes because of contact with

other cultures. This will affect the condition of the

culture. The literature we use in this study, as

follows:

2.1 Cultural Diffusion

Cultural diffusion is the process of spreading

cultural elements in a community that is mediated by

one group to another. In the case of anthropology,

there are seven cultural elements which include

language, knowledge system, social system or social

organization, system and technology of living

equipment, religious system, and art.

The process of diffusion is not only seen from

the point of movement of cultural elements from one

place to another on the face of the earth, but mainly

as a process in which cultural elements are carried

by individuals from a culture, and must be accepted

by individuals from other cultures.

One of cultural diffusion is the spreading of

cultural elements that occurred because they are

carried by groups of people who migrating from one

place to another in the world. The spreading of

cultural elements not only occurred when there is

movement from a group by the people from one

place to another but also occurred because certain

individuals who carried these cultural elements to a

wider place.

2.2 Acculturation

Acculturation (acculturation or cultural contact) is

defined as a social process that occurs when a group

of people with a certain culture are confronted with

elements of a foreign culture in such a way that the

elements of a foreign culture are gradually accepted

and processed into their own culture without causing

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loss of the cultural personality itself . In short,

acculturation is a blend of two or more cultures that

produces a new culture but does not eliminate the

elements of the old culture. The acculturation

process requires a period that is not short.

2.3 Assimilation

Assimilation is the mixing or mixing of two or more

cultures so that the original cultural features are no

longer visible. This assimilation process will occur

when people have an open attitude. This open

attitude is reflected in the ease of values and norms

that are internalized into a society. For example, an

ethnic group is easy to accept the effects of

globalization, but there are also ethnic groups that do

not want social change in their communities at all.

Prof. Koentjaraningrat (2009), assimilation is a

process of social change in society that occurs

because of the continuous and serious development

and relationship of social interactions. These

conditions ultimately encourage people to blend the

existing culture in an effort to accommodate all

parties in managing the existing forms of social

order.

Referring to other literature related to

assimilation, according to Benneth, that:

“…assimilation and melting-pot ideologies : we

permit members of other cultures to immigrate, but

require they adopt some (melting pot) or all (strict

assimilation) features of our cultural template, in any

event the central ones of individual autonomy and

freedom” (Bennett, 2011).

2.4 Gastronomy as Part of Local

Cultural Identity

The word gastronomy from the ancient Greek,

namely gastros which means stomach and nomos

which means law or rule. According to Gilleisole

(2001), gastronomy or cullinairy art is a senior

science or science of good food. Another definition

of gastronomy, about the relationship between

culture and food, where gastronomy discusses

various components of culture with food as its

center. In other resolutions regarding the science of

gastronomy, Rao Monin & Durand (2003),

gastronomy considers differences in the environment

(geography and climate) and culture (history and

diversity) of the components of aroma, texture and

taste in food and beverages. Gastronomic identity is

in the interests of the region (the State) in

determining cultural diversity and culinary rhetoric.

Show list and appreciation of all food and drinks.

Gastronomy on detailed knowledge about food and

drinks from all over the world.

Ketaren (2017), emphasizing on the basis of

gastronomic studies basically emphasizes on 4 (four)

elements, namely:

a. History: about the origin of raw materials, how

and where to be cultivated.

b. Culture: namely about the factors that influence

people to consume these foods.

c. Geographical Landscape: about environmental

factors that influence the community cooking

food.

d. Cooking Method: namely about the cooking

process in general. Not about technical cooking

because a gastronomy doesn't have to be able

to cook. The four elements are called tangible

(real, clear and realized) which is always used

as a benchmark for western society when

talking about gastronomy.

3 METHODS AND MATERIALS

This research uses qualitative research methods, in

the form of historical and ethnographic research

approaches. Sugiyono (2010) that the qualitative

method is a research method based on the philosophy

of positivism, used to examine natural conditions of

objects, (as opposed to experiments) where the

researcher is a key instrument. the sampling of data

sources is done purposively and snowball, the

collection technique with triangulation, analysis.

Relating to the historical approach used in this

research, the understanding of the historical approach

is the terminology used in the phenomenological and

hermeneutic traditions to indicate an essential display

of human existence, cultural events and products.

Also related to the ethnography approach in this

study, referring to Harris (in John W. Creswell;

2007) explains that ethnography is a qualitative

design in which the researcher describes and

interprets the shared and learned patterns of values,

behaviors, beliefs, and language of a culture-sharing

group. The combination of these two forms of

approach looks at a phenomenon of cultural products

(Tauco) from their origins, their distribution and the

meaning behind them, which are examined through

interviews with informants and other secondary data

Data collection techniques used were literature study,

interviews and documentation. The primary data

source is direct interviews with key informants. The

research instrument in this research used in-depth

interviews with informants with snowball sampling

techniques.

Tauco Cianjur: The Symbols of Sundanese and Chinese Ethnic Harmony in Cianjur

137

Then based on Sugiono (2010), suggests that

samples in qualitative research are not called

respondents, but as sources of informants, or

participants, informants, friends and teachers in

research. Determination of the sample in qualitative

research is carried out before the researcher observes

the field and throughout the study. The key

informants we interviewed consisted of the owner of

Tauco Cap Meong, the owner of Tauco Cap

Biruang, Cianjur cultural leaders, SMEs, and the

general public. Interviews were conducted to explore

historical aspects, knowledge of the production

process, the process of acceptance in the community,

community views, and the role of the government in

the development of the Tauco cuisine.

This research is also supported by secondary data

used to enrich and elaborate secondary data

collected. The secondary data we collected came

from studies, and previous records relating to the

history of Tauco, especially in Cianjur, and in

Indonesia in general. This secondary data also

involves photo documentation that illustrates the

history of Tauco in Cianjur. In qualitative research,

data collection techniques can be done through

settings from various sources, and various ways. The

data collection techniques used in this study include

interview techniques, observation techniques and

documentation techniques, triangulation.

Triangulation is a data grasping technique that

utilizes something else in comparing the results of

interviews with research objects (Moloeng, 2004).

Triangulation techniques in this research are

illustrated in the chart below:

Figure 2: Triangulation Data

4 DATA AND RESULTS

4.1. The History of Tauco Cianjur

Development

The bibliography compiled by William Shurtleff and

Akiko Aoyagi in the History of Miso and Soybean

Chiang, notes that Tauco is still associated with

Jiang, a Chinese spice. Jiang is thought to have

originated before the Chou Dynasty (722-481 BC),

so it can be claimed as the oldest seasoning known

to humans (Shurtleff & Akiko, 2009). In line with

the Chinese diaspora to other parts of the world,

herbs like Jiang also developed and had their names

in new places. Some other names from Jiang are

Tauco (Indonesia): Soybean paste (Europe /

America), Miso (Japan), Doenjang, Dwenjang,

Cheonggukjang (Korea), and Dajiang (China)

(Shurtleff & Akiko, 2009).

From Shurtleff & Akiko's bibliography, it is

known that from historical records, Tauco was first

recorded in the archipelago from the writings of a

Dutch scientist, Prinsen Geerligs. Geerligs called it

tao tsioe in a Dutch paper in 1895 and tao tjiung in a

German paper in 1896. From that note, it was known

that Tauco had existed in the archipelago since the

19th century. Exactly, there was a Tauco business in

Cianjur founded by Tan Kei Hian, or commonly

called Babah Tasma.

The emergence of Tauco in Cianjur was almost

accompanied by the presence of the Chinese in

Cianjur, which was marked by the establishment of

the Chinese Village/Pecinan in Cianjur on June 9,

1810. But from the records, the Tauco Babah Tasma

business was recorded as having begun in 1880. The

Tauco effort which began to be pioneered by Tasma

later became a pioneer who encouraged the

development of Tauco in the Tatar Priangan.

Through of Historia.id (Ismayanto, Historia.id,

2016), on interviews with the descendants of the

third generation of Babah Tasma, namely Harun

Tasma, can be traced the history of the business of

Tauco Babah Tasma. There is an interesting element

of the note, namely the thick interaction of Chinese

and Sundanese culture. Starting from the nickname

of Tasma, which turned out to appear because he

wore glasses, which in Sundanese is called Tasma.

Until finally Tasma became their family name

passed down to the next generation.

In developing his business, Babah Tasma was

assisted by his wife, namely Mrs. Tasma. Initially

the taste of Tauco Babah Tasma tended to be sweet,

then, Mrs. Tasma made new tastes that tended to be

salty. Until then they finally separated, the two tastes

that they turn on each of them. Babah Tasma opened

Tauco Cap Gedong, while Mrs. Tasma continued her

business with the brand of Cap Meong. But in its

development it turns out that the people are more

fond of Tauco made by Mrs. Tasma. Due to lack of

behavior, Tauco Cap Gedong finally closed down.

The second interesting thing is, the use brand of Cap

Observation

(Primary Data)

Literatur

Informant

interview

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“Meong” used by Mrs. Tasma is said to have

originated from the discovery of Meong (Tiger)

footprints in the kitchen, which is believed to be the

pet of Eyang Suryakencana, the ancestor of the

Sundanese Cianjur. The use of myths from

Sundanese culture as an inspiration for their efforts

is an interesting approach.

After being continued by the second generation,

Tauco Cap Meong's business is increasingly flying.

Standing on Jalan HOS Cokroaminoto No. 160,

Cianjur, West Java, which is the trading center of the

Capital City of Cianjur, a sizable signboard that

reads "Tauco No. 1 made by Mrs. Tasma is quite

easy to display, and is a symbol of the existence of

the popular Tauco store in the Cianjur community.

Tauco Cap Meong managed to become a pioneer

and Tauco industry standard that proved successful,

thus fostering the interests of other parties to start

similar businesses.

Figure 3: Taucio Cap Meong Employee, Doc. Tauco Cap

Meong’s Documentation

Referring to the Mutiara's reseacrh et al (2018),

entering the 1960s, Tauco Cap Biruang's effort was

established to follow the success achieved by Tauco

Cap Meong. Tauco Cap Biruang industry is a Tauco

Industry which was founded in Sentiong (Cikaret

area, Cianjur) in 1960 by Mr. H. Moch. Soleh. In the

beginning, H. Moch Soleh worked in someone else's

industry, the Tauco Cap Meong Industry. Armed

with ten years of work experience in the industry,

finally H. Moch Soleh established his own Tauco

industry, which was named the Tauco Cap Biruang

Industry. After that, other Tauco industries emerged

such as the Tauco Cap Harimau, Cap Badak, Cap

Macan Tutul and Tauco Djajuli Putra industries.

Interesting things from the growth of Tauco's

new business include: generally the founders came

from the learning/working process in Tauco Cap

Meong, mostly from Sundanese people, making Cap

Meong a role model, including production

techniques to packaging. This last part is the reason

why Tauco Cianjur's packaging looks almost the

same. Namely with the formula, the name of the

animal, with the animal in the middle as a logo, and

only on black and white paper. It will be difficult to

distinguish between Tauco Cap Meong, Cap

Biruang, or Cap Harimau. But on the other hand, it

was also what later made Tauco from Cianjur very

distinctive, well-known and easily recognized by the

wider community.

Figure 4: Tauco Cap Meong Packaging, Doc. Researcher

Documentation

In addition to appearance, a distinctive marker of

Tauco Cianjur is its flavor. At present, Tauco in

Indonesia is developing in various regions. Chinese

people who migrated to the archipelago developed

Tauco where they settled. Even in Indonesia, the

development of Tauco in the regions can variatives.

That makes the difference between soybean types

and also the fermentation bacteria that are unique in

each place. According to the article from detik.com

(2012), there are at least five known types of Tauco

in Indonesia, which are as follows:

a. Tauco Cianjur. Smoother texture because

cooked soybean seeds are more crushed. The

color is reddish brown. There is a delicious and

tasty taste.

b. Tauco Kalimantan. The soybean seeds are

whole and light brown. The liquid is clear and

makes the soybean seeds visible. Usually used

to season fish or chicken.

c. Tauco Medan. The Tauco liquid is murky

brown, the soybean grains are intact and

yellow. The taste of the Tauconya is savory

and is often used to cook seafood and various

vegetables.

Tauco Cianjur: The Symbols of Sundanese and Chinese Ethnic Harmony in Cianjur

139

d. Tauco Pekalongan. Soto seasoning is often

made. The soybean grains are also intact,

brownish in color and soft in texture. It's not

too salty.

e. Typical Bangka Tauco uses fermented yellow

soybeans which have a brownish-green color.

The soybean grains are also finer and tend to

be similar to soybean porridge.

4.2. The Typical Tauco Cianjur

production process: Tauco Cap

Meong and Cap Biruang

Tauco Cap Meong and Tauco Cap Biruang, after

going through various business hurdles for tens to

hundreds of years, have now expanded considerably

and become the two main players of Tauco Cianjur.

Tauco Cap Meong has been held by the fourth

generation, namely Stefany Tasma (27 years).

Meanwhile, Tauco Cap Biruang is held by the third

generation, namely Tini Supartini. These two heirs

later became key informants in our in-depth

interviews.

The production process, according to Tauco Cap

Meong, Stefany, who is fondly called Fany, they still

maintain the production process used by the first

generation. Where it can be maintained by the

knowledge stored in the employees. Even for tools,

most still use old equipment, especially Patiman.

Patiman is a jar for the salting process. It can be said

to be the same age as the Tauco Cap Meong

business age which reaches hundreds of years.

As for the changes, according to Fany not so

much. What stands out is the source of raw

materials. In the past, of course we used local

soybeans, while now we have used soybeans from

the USA. The purchase from outside was due to

domestic soybeans being unable to meet production

needs. The need for soybeans for one production is

one quintal and within 1-3 months one can buy

soybeans in the amount of several tons.



Figure 5: The Process of Soybeans Boiling, Doc.

Researcher Documentation

The types of Tauco produced by Cap Meong are

in the form of dry Tauco and wet Tauco. In the

Tauco Cap Meong production cycle, for one-time

Tauco production, starting from the beginning until

the Taucos are finished, that is, the old Tauco, it

takes approximately three months. According to

Fany, the production process starts from selecting

soybean seeds, then boiling soybeans, then drying

with sun-dried. After drying and grinding soybeans

to simply make the seeds break, then boil again, then

dried again until dry.

The next process is to rip the soybean called as

‘dipeuyeum’ for three days and three nights, then dry

again to dry. Then the most important step is storing

in Patiman and salting. The purpose of this process

is for the preservation process. If the weather is hot,

two weeks in Patiman will suffice, but if the weather

isn't hot enough, storage can be up to two months.

Then it can be taken for dried Tauco stock. The last

stage, if you want Tauco wet, the cooking process

needs to be added again about 2-3 hours to mix it.



Figure 6: Salting and Storing in Patiman Process. Doc.

Tauco-Cap Meong’s Documentation

Based on the composition of raw materials,

according to Fany is still the same as before. The

main ingredients are soybeans, salt, and water. Then

in the process of wet Tauco processing, added brown

sugar so that the taste becomes more savory. Salty

and savory taste is a quality standard that is

constantly maintained because it is directly related to

the loyalty of consumers. Besides, Tauco Cap

Meong does not use other preservatives besides salt.

Therefore, endurance is not long enough. The

quality without artificial preservatives is what then

makes Tauco Cap Meong remains a choice for loyal

customers.

Meanwhile, according to Tiny, as the owner of

the third generation, the Cap Biruang Tauco

production process, in general, is not much different

from that done by Cap Meong, because it is a way

that is currently quite commonly run by the large

Tauco industry. But unlike the case with the small

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Tauco industry which relatively chose to make

Tauco in a short time. The consequence of this short

production time is that the quality is getting worse.

The main difference between Tauco Cap Biruang

compared to other Tauco products is the sweet taste.

While most of Tauco products are salty, Tauco Cap

Biruang is unique in having two variants, sweet and

salty. This is done to reach consumers who don't like

the taste of salty and or sweet. In this way, the Tauco

Cap Biruang industry can become one of the local

Tauco industries that can match the Tauco Cap

Meong industry.



Figure 7: Wet and Dry Tauco ready sale. Doc. Researcher

Documentation

4.3. The Factors That Influence the

Strong Existence of Tauco in

Cianjur

The development of Tauco until it succeeded in

becoming a commodity that was recognized as a

genuine product of Cianjur was a very interesting

phenomenon. The question of why and how Tauco

originating from the Chinese community can be an

iconic identity for the Cianjur community, which is

predominantly Sundanese, encouraging us to

analyze various aspects that influence the situation.

Based on interviews with informants, who provided

us with insights from a variety of perspectives, here

are some key factors that we found. Among these

are as follows.

a. Tauco is a unique product

Many of Chinese culinary that developed in

Indonesia, Tauco managed to become a part of

cultural identity for the Cianjur region.

Described previously, the success of the Tauco

is inseparable from the important role of the

Babah and Mrs. Tasma’s family. Tasma as a

pioneer. One of interesting thing is, they chose

to sell Tauco instead of the other Chinese

culinary products that are something that

should be appreciated. Reflecting on this,

Stefany Tasma, who is a graduate in business

management, expressed her admiration for the

intelligent choices of her ancestors. According

to Stefany:

“….usually about Tauco Cap Meong, which is

often questioned by people, and also my first

question, why do they have to make Tauco? Why not

know, tempeh or soy sauce? I also don't know the

exact answer. But maybe this time, my great-

grandmother used to know how to make Tauco,

maybe they were out of the box too, right? So I think

they are creative, the idea is brilliant too. "

Stefany's explanation provided important

information about how Babah and Mrs. Tasma

saw potential business opportunities from

Tauco production. They have succeeded in

utilizing the momentum of the absence of other

Chinese citizens who produce Tauco in

Chinatown Cianjur. That smart choice made

them the pioneers who introduced Tauco to the

Cianjur community at large.

For the native Chinese, their products are

the only option to be able to treat their longing

for tauco which has become a part of culture.

As for the Sundanese Cianjur community,

Tauco is unique, totally different from other

Chinese culinary products. That is what makes

them curious to try it. This formula is what

made tauco a success as part of public

consumption in Cianjur.

b. The taste is unique and maintained its

originality

Tauco Cap Meong and Cap Biruang have

succeeded in developing a distinctive taste that

keeps them remembered by consumers. Tauco

Cap Meong preserves salty flavors, while Cap

Biruang preserves sweet Tauco flavors.

Although it has been through several

generations, the originality of the taste has been

maintained until now.

Stefany is the fourth generation to inherit the

Tauco Cap Meong business. So fani is the

great-grandson of Mrs. Tasma, but the

interesting thing is, Stefany was born and

Tauco Cianjur: The Symbols of Sundanese and Chinese Ethnic Harmony in Cianjur

141

raised in Tangerang, so it's not so familiar with

Tauco's efforts. So that, to maintain the

originality and quality of Tauco Cap Meong,

Stefany learned a lot from employees who have

mastered the process of producing inheritance

from Mrs. Tasma. The learning process is

passed by observing and trying directly to

make the Tauco. At present, even though he

has never done production as a whole because

of mass production, Stefany is quite sure he has

understood the flow as a whole.

Cap Meong believes that preserving the taste

and quality is to appreciate what has been

passed down from the ancestors. The most

important, maintaining the taste and quality

standards is their main strength to continue to

survive. Stefany admitted, his best-selling

tauco made many competitors appear. There

are so many Tauco products that are imitating

them, even in some cases fabricating Tauco

Cap Meong products.

During about the situation, consumers

ultimately choose to shop at the Cap Meong

store. This happened mention to the taste and

quality standards that became the identity

traces of the legendary of Tauco. That is the

reason for loyal customers who subscribe from

generation to generation. "If I am the fourth

generation of Cap Meong owners, then there

will also be the fourth generation of loyal

consumers of Tauco out there," Stefany said.

c. Strategic locations and attractive marketing

techniques

The development of Tauco received by the

people in Cianjur is inseparable from the

influence of strategic store locations. Tauco

Sales are centered on the main street of the

capital city of Cianjur, which is a busy road for

pedestrians. Such understanding was expressed

by Fikri (30 years), who is an activist in

preserving arts and culture in Cianjur.

.”Tauco can become an icon because of the

strategic location factor. The Cianjur region is a

trading center and resting place for travelers from

Jakarta to Bandung or vice versa. That caused

Tauco to be easily recognized by the wider

community and remembered as food from Cianjur. It

was from this process that knowledge developed in

the community that there was a Tauco product

which was a typical product sold in Cianjur…”,

Fikri said.

As the first, the Tauco shop owned by

Babah and Mrs. Tasma opened in a region of

Chinatown close to the square and the

highway. The location was indeed developed

as a business center and became a major

crossing place. Tauco's initial market in

Cianjur was indeed aimed at the Chinese

community. Then in the process, the Sundanese

people in the neighborhood buy-in, and then

walkers who are stopping by. The next stage,

from the success of Mrs. Tasma, was born

another tauco business around the region.

According to Stefany, another important

thing from the strategic aspects of the Tauco

Cap Meong store is the beginning of Babah and

Mrs. Tasma uses an open kitchen strategy to

attract the customers. Their strategic location is

easily found by pedestrians. They optimize the

condition by making production activities in

the shop, so that they can be seen by people

who visit. The uniqueness of the production

process and the strong aroma of Tauco when

cooked, become an attraction that makes

people want to visit the store

“….Open kitchen practices, run at the Cap

Meong store. People can immediately see [business]

everything, from the place of cooking to the

packaging, one can see. Well, when I cook, I smell

the aroma, so people can feel the sensation of that

aroma. They can also get Tauco when it's hot,

different from others [who sell Tauco which is

already cold]. Interestingly, the open kitchen selling

strategy has been in mind for a long time, even

though it is a contemporary culinary business

strategy, it's cool…”

That is the expression of Stefany's

admiration for the choice of strategy. In this

case, it can be seen that Babah and Mrs.

Tasma, managed to optimize its strategic

location by selling which was also interesting.

d. Adjusting the native Cianjur tongue is the key

of the culinary innovations.

At first, the Tauco Cianjur had already

introduced to the customers the variety of salty

and sweet tastes of Tauco. According to Mrs.

Tini, Tauco Biruang developed a sweet taste

because it did follow the tastes of the native

people. According to him, the original Chinese

people like the salty ones, but the Sundanese

people of Cianjur more like sweet. Even so, it

still returns to each other's tastes, because there

are also Chinese customers who like Tauco

sweet, and there are also Sundanese customers

who are like with salty ones.

According to Mrs. Tini, because Tauco

does exist in many regions, and each region

may have different tastes, so there is no need to

worry about the authenticity of taste. If you say

Tauco came from the Chinese recipe, that's

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true. But when it comes to Indonesia, in each

region, as in Cianjur, there are adjustments to

native tastes. Mrs. Tini believes that :

What I know is, Tauco's originals in Chinese

are more like soy sauce, their soybeans are

destroyed. Meanwhile, if we are here, the soybean is

not destroyed. So even though the name is the same

as Tauco, but the shape is different, that's what

distinguishes that Tauco Cianjur is a typical Cianjur

that we need to be proud of. "

In addition to adjusting the taste, tauco was

also successfully accepted because it could

give birth to innovations in local cuisine. In the

context of the use of tauco in daily

consumption according to Fany, in the Chinese

community Tauco does not have special

meaning for example for certain ceremonies.

Usually, Tauco is just for everyday food.

Fany’s mother family which is Chinese

Benteng Tangerang usually uses Tauco as a

spice for ceng cuan fish dishes. For this dish,

the milkfish is fried dry, then doused with

spices Tauco, so it tastes fresh. While based on

Fany’s father family, who incidentally is the

Tauco Cap Meong family, they also do not

have a special dish for Tauco, usually Tauco is

used for spicy vegetable spinach.

Interestingly, the use of Tauco is even more

varied in non-Chinese Indonesian society. At

least in Indonesia, tauco is widely known in the

culinary variety such as Pakis Tumis (typical of

Borneo), Gulai Tauco (typical of Minang),

Tauge Goreng Tauco (typical of Bogor),

Vegetable Tauco and Shrimp Seasoning Tauco

(typical of Medan), Soto Tauco (typical of

Tegal -Pekalongan), Tauge Tauco (typical of

Cianjur-Bogor), and many more.

Figure 8: Tauco Bu Aya’s Favorite Scpice

From the viewpoint of the Chinese people, now

Sundanese or other Indonesian people use Tauco in

a variety of different dishes, according to Fany it is

their creativity, which is not a problem in Chinese

people's views. For Fany, they as the people who

spearheaded Tauco are happy, because all of that is

proof that Tauco is received on the tongue and heart

of the Indonesian people.

Tauco Cianjur is widely known as the most

massive scale of industrial souvenirs

Today, according to Fany and Mrs. Tini, Tauco

customers they are bought Tauco for two main

reasons. First is the person who bought Tauco

because of souvenirs. This category rarely consumes

tauco. There have never tried eating Tauco, but

bought Tauco because it understood that it was a

mandatory souvenir from Cianjur. The second is that

people who buy Tauco are for their consumption.

The description of Tauco Cap Meong and Cap

Biruang customers, in composition, Tauco Cianjur

customers today, 70% are general customers for

souvenirs, 30% are customers for their consumption.

From the age side, generally adults and above.

Young customers are very rare, even if there are

only buying for souvenirs. Then from the gender

aspect, the customers are mostly old women.

The large percentage of customers categories for

souvenirs is an interesting condition. At the

beginning of its development, the main customers of

Tauco were the Chinese community, while at

present their numbers are far less than the Sundanese

Ayas (68 years old) is a resident of Cipanas

Cianjur who has known Tauco since

childhood. His parents are Tauco Cap Meong

Mrs. Tasma Until now Mrs. Ayas is still a

customer of the Tauco brand because she

thinks it is the most delicious.

There used to be another brand he liked,

his name was Tauco Cap Djajuli. Tauco

Djajuli is a business owned by Sundanese

people, and according to Bu Ayas, it also

tastes good. But now Djajuli is closed.

Regarding Tauco is Chinese cuisine, Mrs.

Ayas only learned about it when she grew up.

According to him, it doesn't matter if Tauco is

originally from the Chinese community.

However, because it has become a Cianjur

identity, according to him, Cianjur people

should also be more involved in the Tauco

business.

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143

Cianjur community. According to Fani and Mrs.

Tini, currently customers from the Chinese-Cianjur

people, only around 30% of the total customers.

Much bigger than the non-Chinese people. This

change in composition also indicates a change in

purchasing choices, from consumption to souvenirs.

Therefore, Fany believes that the survival of

Tauco in Cianjur is due to natural business

processes. Namely because of a change from the

need for consumption which was originally only

produced at home scale into a souvenir product that

must be met on an industrial scale.

"In fact, before me, my auntie was just selling, Tauco

just wrote. And Cap Meong can survive, there are only

interested ones. Although it was also hit by a toll road,

which drastically reduced customers, it still survived.

Tauco is still selling well and is one of the souvenir items

that is always sought after. So that's how it is, its

sustainability is more because it's already known as a

souvenir. ", Fanny said.

The same thing was also conveyed by Mrs. Tini.

Although after the construction of the Cipularang

toll road, there was a decrease in purchases,

however, in Cianjur the market was still good.

According to Mrs. Tini, currently in a month, Tauco

Cap Biruang can sell 10,000 thousand bottles. Sales

are usually high on weekends and holidays. The

customers are more than among the tourists, or

residents who want to visit their relatives.

Support from the Cianjur Regency Government

According to Mrs. Tini, the Regency

Government of Cianjur wants Tauco to become a

typical food of Cianjur. For that, the government

provides some support for Tauco entrepreneurs. The

government helps with support to facilitate the

licensing aspects. Then the government also

involved entrepreneurs in training, workshop, fairs

and exhibitions, and was involved in the UMKM

Group coordinated by The Cooperatives and Trade

office (Dinas Koperasi dan Perdagangan).

According to him, unfortunately this can only be felt

by large-scale Tauco entrepreneurs such as Cap

Biruang and Cap Meong.

Mrs. Tini said that indeed for the development of

Tauco, the important thing was to answer the

problems in marketing aspects as well as easy and

inexpensive access to raw materials. Currently, the

majority of Tauco producers use imported soybeans

from America. Therefore, if the dollar rises, the

price of raw materials also rises. Indeed, the

government encourages Tauco producers to use

local soybeans, unfortunately, local soybeans do not

meet the quality and quantity requirements. Even if

there is quality, but not enough to meet our

demands.

While the obstacles in marketing, according to

Mrs. Tiny is more because Tauco is a product whose

market is very specific. Tauco is not the main food,

rather a supplementary food, so people buy,

especially when the economy is unstable, tend to

buy the main one first. For this marketing problem,

according to Mrs. Tiny, the government is quite

helpful through bazaar activities.

As for Cap Meong, Fany saw other marketing

support from the government. The Cianjur

government built a tourism package that included

Tauco Cap Meong shops and production houses as

one of the must-visit tourist destinations in Cianjur.

Besides, the government has also built the Tauco

monument and is preparing tourist buses such as

Bandros in the city of Bandung, which is named

Tauco. For the support of the government, Fany

sufficiently appreciated it.

5 DISCUSSION

5.1 The Process of Acculturation,

Acceptance, and Adjustment in

Cianjur Culinary

The acculturation process in the Tauco Cianjur

phenomenon is an example of the form of

acceptance and adjustment of two different cultures,

to produce one mixing product, it called Tauco. This

can be seen from the Tauco taste that is typical of

Chinese and then there is a mixing of cultures with

the native Cianjur people. This taste adjustment has

an impact on the acceptance of Tauco as one of the

culinary offerings which is the local wisdom of the

Cianjur community.

Acculturation as one of the cultural phenomena

indicates that a form of the gradual acceptance of the

migrant culture into the native local culture. Tauco

as a product is the result of blending distinctive

flavors of Chinese which are adapted to Cianjur

culture.

5.2 Strengthening the Identity of Tauco

Cianjur Due to Various Factors

In line with the changing conditions of tauco into

industrial products, Tauco developed into an iconic

identity of Cianjur. Stefany mentioned that basically,

Tauco exists in various places where there are

creations. Tauco is not only in Cianjur, but also in

Padang, Medan, Tangerang, and other places.

However, because the factor is known as the oldest,

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it still runs until now, and then because of the

massive sales, Tauco from Cianjur finally became

famous, and finally accepted by the public as one of

Cianjur's identities. This identity is not born that

much but is an output of several factors that exist

and over time, some of these factors become a

cultural reinforcement and develop rapidly to

become an identity for an area or culture.

5.3 Tauco as Cultural Diplomacy

Anthropologists see that eating habits as a complex

of cooking, people's wisdom, beliefs, restrictions,

and superstitions related to the production,

preparation, and consumption of food. In short, as an

important cultural category, anthropologists see food

as influencing and relating to many other cultural

categories.

Food in the socio-cultural view has a broader

meaning than just a source of nutrition. Associated

with trust, status, prestige, solidarity, and peace.

Food has many roles in the daily life of the human

community. This meaning is in harmony with the

value of life, the value of work, the value of space or

time, the value of relations with the surrounding

nature; and the value of relations with others

Culinary, is one important aspect of life. Every

country in the world has its characteristics. Like

China, a country with a large culture has had an

influence on culinary in Indonesia. Not all cultures

carried by the Chinese people can be well received

by the people of Indonesia. Culinary is one aspect of

culture that can be accepted and diffuses well in

Indonesia.

Multiculturalism grow in an open society.

Multiculturalism is believed to be a view of the

reality of the variety of human life that involves

values, systems, culture, and even politics that is

embraced in a society. Multiculturalism also

develops along with changes in society. According

to the anthropologist, Prof. Dr. Koentjoroningrat,

culture is the whole system of ideas, actions, and the

results of human work in the life of society that

belongs to the human self by learning.

6 CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

6.1 Conclusions

Based on the results of our research above, several

conclusions can be made, among others:

a. The function of food not only just food, but

also have many things aspect behind it. Food

also has its features and meanings that can

describe social, economic, political and the

image of a culture. Food is also a form of

product acculturation and assimilation of a

place to be the place of origin of an area.

Besides, food can also be used as a meaning of

cultural diplomacy, and intercultural relations,

for migrants or local cultures.

b. Tauco is one form of evidence from the two

forms of acculturation. As a mirror, Tauco is a

form of interaction between two different

cultures into a product of cultural diplomacy

and a symbol of harmony between ethnic

groups.

c. Local identity does not only arise from native

culture or local wisdom. However, the identity

of an area can also be from the uptake of

migrants who have been adopted and the

results of native culture. This also became one

part of the wealth of the archipelago.

6.2 Recommendation

a. Preservation and development of Tauco

Cianjur as a product can be a regional asset in

terms of economic, political, cultural wealth

and tourism aspects. This preservation is also

one of the archipelago's rich heritage which is

priceless.

b. The development of products from the Tauco

Cianjur culinary is also a result of the regional

gastronomic peculiarities which should be a

unifying tool for a nation in the work of

harmony and diversity among ethnic groups in

Indonesia.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

King regards to Mrs. Tasma family and Mrs. Tini as

key informants in this paper, and several other

parties that we cannot mention one by one.

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