Continuity and change in Sundanese use of wild vegetables: A historical ethnobotany analysis

Abstract

Background: Java’s favorable climate and volcanic soils have supported a rich variety of edible plants, shaping biodiversity and food systems. The Sundanese of West Java have a culinary tradition emphasizing fresh vegetables, especially lalab, which are raw or lightly cooked and served with chili paste (sambal), that historically played a central dietary role.

Methods: Historical data were sourced from J. J. Ochse’s Indische Groenten (1931) and additional colonial-era materials, augmented by secondary references. Wild vegetable species were taxonomically authenticated through Plants of the World Online and cross-referenced. Species cited in recent studies were classified as “persistent,” whereas absent species were considered “forgotten.” Botanical characteristics, edible parts, consumption methods, and biogeographical origins were examined to identify diachronic patterns.

Results: A total of 232 wild species (158 genera, 68 families) were historically documented, primarily herbaceous, with leaves most used. Recent studies, however, report merely 50-100 species. Persistent taxa are mainly perennial herbs, used raw or minimally processed. Forgotten taxa include forest-associated trees and ferns, seasonally available annuals, species requiring detoxification or complex processing, and taxa with commercially cultivated relatives. Introduced species from several floristic regions signify prolonged plant exchange and migration. Sociohistorical transformations, including wartime deforestation, post-independence land transfer, the Green Revolution, commercialization, and agroforest simplification, diminished access to wild vegetables.

Conclusions: This study shows that using historical documents in ethnobotany research is important for revealing people–plant relationships and cultural trajectories over time. Diachronic perspectives are essential for revitalizing traditional plant knowledge and strengthening food traditions amid biodiversity loss and cultural change.

Keywords: Diachronic ethnobotany, Lalab vegetables, Sundanese cuisine, Unconventional food, Wild plants