UNAIR NEWS – The promotion old, forgotten tradition of geophagia, the tradition of people and / or animals in the tropical countryside to eat soil in Tuban, East Java, has attracted the attention of Kemenristekdikti to provide research grants in the 2018 Student Creativity Program (PKM) to three students of ¶«¾©ÈÈ.
The PKM-PSH (Social Humanity Research) team are Hendra Setiawan (leader), Calvin Nathan Wijaya, and Lia Agustina Subagyo, from the Department of State Administration, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UNAIR.ÌýTheir paper was entitled “Unique Geophagia Phenomenon in Trowulan Community, Bektiharjo Village, Tuban Regency”.
Described by Hendra Setiawan, the habit of geophagia is generally found in rural communities in the tropics.ÌýIn East Java, it can be found in Trowulan, Bektiharjo Village, Tuban Regency.ÌýHere, the so-called ampo- eating habit is done by some people.
According to the locals, eating clay that is processed into ampo, makes the stomach feel more comfortable, and usually pregnant women crave for it.
Compiled from various stories in the local community, the beginning of eating ampo tradition in Trowulan community in Tuban Regency was due to the difficult circumstances during the Dutch colonialism.ÌýTuban as a port city was a very rich area.ÌýIt was one of the most important trading routes at the time.ÌýMerchants from all over the world, including Europe and China, came to Tuban.
The colonialism then turned Tuban into a very difficult area due to the system of forced cultivation (cultuurstelsel)Ìý.ÌýPeople are living in poverty, food and hunger.ÌýFinally, trade is dominated by foreign elites, which often impose very expensive price of goods, especially rice.ÌýThat situation makes people think and find a way to survive.
The alternative was the ²¹³¾±è´Ç.Ìý´¡³¾±è´Ç was originally made from mud deposits in river bank of Bengawan Solo.ÌýIt is a clay-based alluvial soil. It is dried first before eaten.
But gradually the community here find another ampo material from sediment of wetland water with clay base material in Bektiharjo Village.ÌýThe difference is, clay that has been collected is processed by smoked (with fire).
In Tuban at the moment, there is only ampo producer who is still actively producing, named Sarpik.ÌýHe made the ampo in Trowulan, Bektiharjo Village.ÌýEveryday he makes the ampo and sell it to the market.
According to Sarpik, ampo has many uses, it can be used to treat heartburn, indigestion, for craving pregnant women, to eliminate the bitter taste of papaya leaves, and as snack.
In addition to consumed, ampo is used by the people of Tuban as one of the elements of cok bakal as an offering for the ancestors in certain celebrations.ÌýAmpo is included in it  because the people of Tuban believe that the ancestors used to eat ampo.
The Making of Ampo
It is started with preparing the necessary equipments and materials.ÌýThe equipment include a gandenÌý(²ú±ð²¹³Ù±ð°ù),ÌýsesehÌý(²õ³¦°ù²¹±è±ð°ù),ÌýobonganÌý(²õ³Ù´Ç±¹±ð),ÌýhirikÌý(ÌýAmpo smokingÌý),Ìýglangsing (the base used to form AmpoÌý),Ìýsickle (for digging), jarik (to bring the soil from the site).ÌýThe basic ingredient of ampo is the soil of the rice field with a depth of about 20 cm using an sickle.ÌýThen the soil obtained is placed in the jarikÌý.
The soil is then put on a glangsing.ÌýThe soil should be in damp conditions.ÌýSo if the soil is too dry it should be given water, and if too wet should be dried.ÌýThe moist soil is then shaped like a box and smoothed by being hit with ganden.ÌýThen the soil is left for a day and wrapped in plastic so that moisture is maintained.
After a day, the soil is eroded using seseh, resulting rolls shaped ampo.ÌýThe result of the eroded soil is then inserted to hirik to be smoked on top of the obonganÌý.ÌýThe fumigation uses fire from firewood for about an hour.ÌýThen ampo ready for use, both consumption and ritual purposes.
Today many young people in Tuban do not recognize ampo, because this old tradition has been abandoned.ÌýIn surviving, the community no longer need to eat the soil (ampo), because the food is abundant.ÌýHowever, it is unfortunate if this tradition extincts, because ampo has become a special tradition for the people of Tuban, especially Bektiharjo Village.ÌýSo Tuban District Government should give more attention to preserve the tradition.Ìý(*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
