Fajar Adinugraha, Siti Zubaidah, Sri Rahayu Lestari
Background: Coconut sugar is a traditional product widely consumed in Indonesia, including by the Javanese community of Somongari. Despite its importance, the knowledge of coconut sugar production in Somongari remains undocumented, as it is passed down primarily through oral tradition. This study seeks to explore the traditional coconut sugar-making practices of the Somongari Javanese community from an ethnobiological perspective. Methods: This study employed a field exploration approach in Somongari Village, Indonesia, incorporating interviews, observation, anddocumentation. Twenty-four informants, comprising twenty sugar makers and four key informants, were interviewed. Results: Coconut sugar is produced from the sap of coconut flowers (sajeng) and is cooked until thickened and molded. The natural remedy used in the production of coconut sugar is laru. Laru comprises enjet (limestone) and lathi manggis (sap of mangosteens). The manufacturing process utilizes traditional tools and techniques, comprising three stages: ndewan (coconut sap collection), genen (cooking the coconut sap until it thickens), and nitis (molding the coconut sap). Conclusion: The indigenous knowledge of coconut sugar production embodies the close relationship between biodiversity and cultural heritage. The utilization of local plants contributes to both the production and consumption values, highlighting the need to preserve this practice through documentation and integration into educational and community learning to sustain ecological and cultural values. Copyright: © 2025 The Authors. Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal is published by the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Philippines. This is an open access journal under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia; Program Studi Pendidikan Biologi, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Kristen Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
