[Unpad Media Channel] Elephant foot yams (Morphophallus paeoniifolius) is a variety of tuberous plant. The plant was once popular with a portion of West Javanese people, especially in the 60s and 70s. However, currently, the existence of elephant foot yams is not much known by newer generations.
In academic studies, literature on elephant foot yams is not plentiful. Even though, elephant foot yams are able to compete with porang tubers if they are backed by comprehensive research.
This motivated an Unpad professor from the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science (FMIPA), Dr. Asep Zainal Mutaqin, to research elephant foot yams. In his dissertation for his Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Asep tried to study elephant foot yams through the lens of ethnoecology. The study aimed to discover the potential of elephant foot yams based on local knowledge from the people.
With his study in the Cimanuk and Citanduy Drainage Basin, Asep found an interesting phenomenon. Many respondents, especially millennials, do not know about elephant foot yams. “Even though the plant grows amply in their backyards,” said Asep.
Asep explained that people aged 50 or older are still familiar with elephant foot yams. This is different from the people aged around 20. Despite of elephant foot yams growing abundantly in their home environments, they tend to not know about the tuber plant.
Elephant foot yams are tuber plants which are not categorized as extinct. The existence of elephant foot yams, especially in the location of its research, are still substantial. The plant does not only grow in shading areas, but it can also grow in open areas.
Asep’s research showed the morphological differences between the elephant foot yams which grew in shading areas and in open areas. The elephant foot yams growing in shading areas have leaf stems which grow high.
Meanwhile, elephant foot yams growing in open areas have relatively small leaf stems. This condition was influenced by the difference in sun exposure received by the two plants.
Local Knowledge
In the two drainage basins, Asep studied the habits of respondents in consuming elephant foot yams. As was explained, elephant foot yams were popular around fifty years ago.
In those times, elephant foot yams were consumed by the public both as a substitute for rice or as an accompaniment to rice. It could replace rice since, at the time, West Java was going through a rice shortage.
In line with the increase in rice production as well as the surge of the introduction of various food types, elephant foot yams have become forgotten in the current era.
Asep explained that elephant foot yams also have little taboo. This is opposite to a few foods whose consumption is taboo based on the people’s local knowledge.
“One example is lady finger bananas, which are forbidden to be consumed by certain communities because they are considered to be able to diminish one’s magical potency. Meanwhile, elephant foot yams are not related to any taboo,” explained Asep.
Like other tubers, the preparation of elephant foot yams in the research location was done through steaming. The steaming process produced elephant foot yams with a palatable, slightly chewy, texture. The taste of the yams were plain with a little sweetness.
As for the other parts of the plant, Asep looked forward to doing further study surrounding the potential of those other parts. For now, Asep has only utilized elephant foot yam leaves for fish food.
Potential
Elephant foot yams are still in the same genus as porang tubers. In the area that Asep studied, porang tubers are an introduced species. This is different from elephant foot yams which had been known to grow around the people indigenous to that area.
Many farmers introduce porang tubers since they, currently, have high economic value.
Asep explained that there are some potential present in elephant foot yams so that they can become an excellent variety if cultivated intensively.
Ecologically, elephant foot yams grow easily in any altitude, starting from above 1000 masl to below 500 masl.
“From what I studied, the existence of elephant foot yams in the midst of of people’s houses was a product of human intervention. They did it either purposefully by planting the stem, or coincidentally by throwing away seeds which grew,” he said.
From that, it can be concluded sure that elephant foot yams are able to grow in any plot or condition. Without human intervention, elephant foot yams have proven their ability to grow by themselves. This makes them good candidates for cultivation.
“By just looking at their altitude, it shows the wide growth spectrum of elephant foot yams. If they were to be cultivated, they would possess great potential, especially with the advent of climate anomalies. They are able to grow in any condition,” explained Asep. (arm/ICP)*
