Abstract Tucupi is a fermented liquid obtained from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), very much appreciated by the traditional cuisine of Northern Brazil. However, there are no scientific reports on its use in the formulation of products. Thus, the present study aimed to elaborate a powdered condiment with tucupi, as well as to assess the product’s sensory acceptability and its hygroscopic behavior. The powdered tucupi used in the formulation of the condiment was obtained by drying in a spray dryer. The product underwent sensory evaluation for its acceptability regarding the attributes of color, aroma, flavor, and overall impression and a purchase intention test was applied by hedonic scale. The acceptability index was 80% for overall impression and the purchase intention test indicated that 94% of the judges would be willing to buy the product. The product’s moisture sorption isotherms presented type-II behavior for adsorption and type-III for desorption, at 25 °C. The hygroscopic behavior indicated that the product is more susceptible to spoilage changes when stored in an environment with relative humidity above 60% and the Peleg model showed an excellent performance on predicting the product’s moisture sorption isotherms.

Abstract Tucupi, a fermented product obtained from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is widely employed in the cuisine of the Northern region of Brazil, however, its industrial application is incipient. This study used tucupi to prepare a creamy paste, which underwent sensory and rheological evaluation. Paste formulations with 5 to 20% concentrated tucupi were obtained. An acceptance test was used to assess the product’s acceptability regarding the attributes of color, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression. A purchase intention test of the product was also applied. The product’s rheology was studied at 25, 40, and 60 °C and the activation energy (Ea) was estimated. The internal preference mapping indicated that the paste formulation with 5% and 10% tucupi were the most accepted by the judge, but only the 10% tucupi paste was characterized. Proportions greater than 15% tucupi influenced negatively in the flavor and texture of the product. Purchase intention test showed that 99% of the judges demonstrated interest in purchasing the product. The product presented 72.7% moisture, 10.4% lipids, 0.5% proteins, 2.1% ashes, 14.3% carbohydrates, and 7.4 μg/g β-carotene. According to the rheological assays, the paste presented characteristics of a pseudoplastic fluid. The Herschel-Bulkley model proved efficient to predict the flow curves for the product in the temperature range tested, for which Ea was estimated at 7.49 kJ/mol.