<![CDATA[Sambal tempoyak is a traditional fermented food product with distinctive acidic and aromatic characteristics, but its high moisture content limits stability and practical application as an instant cube product. This study aimed to optimize drying temperature and time to obtain sambal tempoyak cubes with desirable physicochemical and microbiological characteristics. An experimental design using Response Surface Methodology with a Central Composite Design was applied to evaluate drying temperatures of 40–60°C and drying times of 2–4 hours. Moisture content, water activity (Aw), pH, and total lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were analyzed as response variables, followed by multi-response optimization and verification of the predicted optimum condition. The optimum treatment was obtained at 58°C for 2.4 hours with a desirability value of 0.894. Verification produced 32.57% moisture content, 0.69 Aw, pH 3.67, and 4.083 Log CFU/g LAB, closely corresponding to the predicted values of 30%, 0.70, 3.69, and 4.054 Log CFU/g, respectively. GC-MS analysis showed that drying modified the volatile profile, particularly reducing Butanoic acid, 2-methyl- and its ethyl ester, while these characteristic compounds remained detectable after drying. The optimized condition provides a balanced approach to moisture reduction, microbiological stability, acidity maintenance, LAB retention, and partial preservation of volatile characteristics in sambal tempoyak cubes.]]>
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