ZINGIBERACEAE UTILIZATION FROM EAST BANYUMAS PRODUCTION FOREST AS NATURAL EDIBLE ADDITIVES

Benefits of Zingiberaceae family’s plants for rural communities in forest villages are as raw gingery-stuff sources for food additives and health purposes. The superiority of Zingiberaceae’s plants is able to grow well under tree stands and on open sites. Survey on 50 respondents at forest villages under the Forest Management Unity of East Banyumas revealed that those gingery stuffs from eight Zingiberaceae’s plant species (i.e. Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd., Amomum cardamomum Willd., Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf., Curcumma domestica Val., C. zanthorrhiza Roxb., Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M.Sm., Kaempferia galanga L. and Zingiber officinale Rosc., have been utilized as edible additives for food and drinks by the community in production forest vicinity. Zingiberaceae-derived additives were categorized as safely consumed for food ingredients/dressings, colorings, aromas, and healthy drinks. Cultivation of Zingiberaceae’s plants could bring economic values and positive impacts to the community and production forest environments. Several Zingiberaceae-derived food ingredients and local drinks have been modified into very-recent recipes, favored for special menus in ISFE’s cuisine-related tourism sites and in modern restaurants. Prospect of Zingiberaceae is expectedly able to develop productive efforts and economies in forest villages; and sustain production forest continually