From culinary practices to rituals, cultural uses of local food plants in Banceuy Traditional Village, West Java, Indonesia

Banceuy Traditional Village is one of the traditional villages located in West Java Province, Indonesia, which is inhabited by the Sunda Tribe. Banceuy indigenous people still preserve their local wisdom by performing traditional rituals. Some of these traditional rituals involve food plants in their implementation. This study aims to document the traditional rituals in the Banceuy Traditional Village. The method in this study used semi-structured interviews with 32 informants regarding food plant uses in several traditional rituals. The study results showed that many food plants were still involved in traditional ritual activities, namely, Hajat Wawar (5 species), Hajat Safaran (7), and Ruwatan Bumi (22). Hajat Wawar is carried out to ward off disaster, and food plants in this ritual are used as offerings during this ritual. Hajat Safaran is held every baby is born in Safar month to ask God for help to protect the baby. In this Hajat Safaran, most of the food plants that are served come from the boiled tuber. Then, Ruwatan Bumi aims to show gratitude towards God and prevent bad luck. In this ritual, the harvested crop plants from Banceuy indigenous people are collected and put together in a property called dongdang. Fabaceae, Alliaceae, and Solanaceae were the dominant food plant families involved in traditional rituals. Capsicum annuum, Cocos nucifera, and Manihot esculenta were commonly found food plant species used in several rituals in the Banceuy Traditional Village. The Banceuy indigenous people indeed continue to maintain their local wisdom through traditional rituals involving food plants, but these practices are increasingly at risk of fading due to modernization. Therefore, the urgent need to document and conserve both cultural heritage or local wisdom and plant diversity. © 2026, Smujo International. All rights reserved.