DOI: 10.18848/2160-1933/cgp/a245 ISSN: 2160-1941

Narrative of Local Knowledge About Food (Tubers and Rhizomes)

Ahmad Burhanuddin, Anas Ahmadi, Titik Indarti
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<p>This study examines the representation of local knowledge about tuber- and rhizome-based foods in Indonesian digital fiction. The focus of the study is to represent local knowledge about suweg, cassava, kencur, and ginger through digital fiction narratives and illustrations. Four digital fictions from Budi Kemendikdasmen, namely, <em>Suweg Bulat-Bulat Lezat</em>, <em>Tiwul Istimewa Nenek</em>, <em>Benda Ajaib di Dapur Nenek,</em> and <em>Ramuan dari Kebun Nenek</em>, were examined as research objects using a descriptive qualitative approach and documentary methods. Data in the form of narratives and dialogues were analyzed through the stages of identification, reduction, interpretation, and verification with triangulation of theory and data. The novelty of this research lies in the effort to integrate ethnobotanical knowledge, especially about tubers and rhizomes, with analysis of their narrative representation in Indonesian digital fiction, which has not previously been explored specifically and in depth. The results of this study show that digital fiction serves as a means of disseminating ethnobotanical knowledge that is child-friendly. In addition to being used as food and traditional medicine, tubers and rhizomes are depicted as cultural symbols and practices of ecological adaptation. The study also explains innovations in local food processing, such as suweg croquettes and tiwul cake, as representations of modernity in food source processing. Local knowledge about food contained in digital fiction is similar to global efforts related to food security, sustainability, and biodiversity conservation. The value of locality represented in digital fiction is not only within the context of Indonesian culture but also contributes to global efforts in promoting plant-based alternative foods as a solution to the challenges of the future food system.</p>

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