In 1875, cassava consumption in Java was still low. Until the beginning of the 20th century, cassava consumption increased rapidly. Cassava cultivation is also widespread. The increase in cassava cultivation is in line with the rapid population growth in Java. In addition, rice production lagged behind population growth at that time. Until now, cassava has become one of the main foodstuffs, not only in Indonesia but also in the world.
In Indonesia, cassava is the third staple food after grains and corn. Several countries use cassava as the main staple food substitute for rice. According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the demand for cassava in Indonesia is currently quite large, namely more than ten million tons per year. Cassava in Indonesia is fully processed as staple food and as other complementary processed food ingredients. As a staple food, cassava is mostly processed as cassava (dried cassava) because cassava is more durable in storage for a long period of time compared to fresh cassava. Generally, the use of cassava as a daily staple is widely used by people in mountainous areas. This is because usually the mountainous people are far from the city center and the land conditions are dry fields as well as cultural factors in the form of traditions that have been carried out from generation to generation.
For example, in Joho Village, Tulungagung which uses cassava as the main raw material for making cassava chips. This is motivated by the geographic location and position of Joho Village which is far from the center of Tulungagung city so that people’s access to meeting food needs is very limited. In addition, the land conditions in Joho Village, which are mostly dry fields on the edge of the hills, are less fertile when planted with rice. The abundant yield of cassava farming encourages people to do preservation through making cassava cassava. Cultural factors in the form of traditions carried out from generation to generation are also one of the factors that encourage the people of Joho Village to maintain the existence of cassava chips.
Apart from Joho Village, Cireundeu Village which is located in Cimahi City, West Java, uses cassava as a daily staple food. The people of Cireundeu Village process cassava into cassava rice or what is known as rasi. Rasi is often consumed like plain white rice along with side dishes and vegetables. People in Cireundeu Village use cassava as their staple food due to cultural factors that have been passed down from generation to generation. It is said that in the past the community’s ancestors in Cireundeu Village used cassava as their daily staple food. In addition, because it is surrounded by cassava gardens covering an area of more than 20 hectares, the people of Cireundeu process cassava products into their daily food, from generation to generation to this day which makes people not eat rice and they are also accustomed to following habits inherited from their grandmothers. ancestor. So that Cireundeu Village was also dubbed the Village of Cassava.
Cassava has historical significance for Indonesian society. These tubers became the staple food against the invaders. One of them is Oyek, which is a traditional Javanese food made from cassava. Oyek is usually served on banana leaf pincuk with a sprinkling of grated coconut which has been processed with spices or sometimes just enough salt is added. Oyek also served as a silent witness to General Sudirman’s struggle in and out of the forest in carrying out guerrilla war tactics against Dutch military aggression in the 1948-1949 era. Armed with rice made from ojek, General Soedirman and his troops were able to survive for some time in the rattan forest. In the midst of that historical significance, cassava is now made with various kinds of food preparations. In addition, cassava also contains carbohydrates that are good for the body. So it is not surprising that cassava-based food has its roots in the processing of the archipelago.