Relating Sour Taste Level and Lactic Acid Levels in Fermented Products of Cassava Roots and Purple Sweet Potatoes Mixture

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the level of sour taste and the lactic acid level of fermented products in various cassava roots and purple sweet potatoes mixtures using local “Ragi Tape.” This type of research is an experiment with the method of solid substrate fermentation. Substrate mixture of cassava roots and purple sweet potatoes made with a concentration variation of 1 : 0; 1: 1; 1: 3; 3: 1, and 0: 1. The ragi tape used was obtained from the traditional Bone Regency market of South Sulawesi province, which resulted from the selection in a previous study. Evaluation of the level of sour taste using the Hedonic test with a numerical scale range of “6” to assess fermented products’ nature. Analysis of lactic acid levels in products using the titration method. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using the variance analysis (ANOVA) and Pearson regression test. The study of variance showed that the panelists’ assessment of the sour taste level of fermented products in all variations of substrate concentrations was significantly different. The Pearson Correlation Coefficients analysis showed a relationship or significant correlation between the variable sour taste level and lactic acid levels of fermented in the variation of cassava root mixtures and purple sweet potatoes. The lowest lactic acid levels in cassava root treatment without purple sweet potato (K) is 0.32%, and the highest in purple sweet potato without Cassava (J) is 1.09%. The regression test concluded a linear relationship between sour taste and the lactic acid level of fermented products in a variation of cassava roots and purple sweet potato mixtures, with a regression equation Y = 2.120 +2.863.