Suweg (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) in Jawa, Indonesia: an ethnobotanical appraisal of its past and present as a traditional and functional food

Abstract

Background: Suweg is a local common name of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson in Jawa, Indonesia. The species is distributed throughout Jawa and the surrounding islands and grows in moist environments and is commonly planted in home gardens or forest edges. However, it is an underutilized tuber crop that has long been embedded in tradition of Javanese culinary and is undergoing a quiet renaissance as a functional food with promising health benefits.

Methods: This study employed a multidisciplinary approach by combining literature review, ethnobotanical survey, as well as propagation practices. Ethnobotanical data were collected using a semi-structured purposive sampling method, including interviews with farmers, elementary school teachers, government officers, housewives, food artisans, and elder members of the communities of the major ethnic groups in Jawa. In addition, food processing techniques are described here.

Results: Our study traces the historical role of suweg in local diet and evaluates its potential for modern food innovation. A number of literature states that the tuber is edible after steaming and frying. Meanwhile, leaves have multi-purpose, such as vegetables, cattle and fish fodder, and natural disinfectant for fishponds. Our findings highlight that the tuber of suweg can be developed to higher economic raw material after being processed into flour, due to high concentration of carbohydrate, which serves as a key ingredient in a wide range of processed food products. Thus, it has potential for development as a food source.

Conclusions: Suweg has been cultivated and consumed by the Javanese and Sundanese for centuries, mainly as a source of food. This article traces its role in local diets and evaluates its potential for modern food innovation.

Keywords: Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, culinary, ethnobotany, indigenous knowledge, Indonesia, Jawa, suweg