THE MEANING OF AYAM INGKUNG IN THE LANGKAHAN WEDDING TRADITION OF THE BOLO COMMUNITY IN BOYOLALI REGENCY: A LITERARY GASTRONOMY STUDY

Abstract

The Langkahan wedding tradition in Bolo Village, Boyolali Regency, is facing extinction due to modernization. The younger generation performs the rituals without understanding the meaning behind each symbol, while the older generation who hold the key to this traditional knowledge is dwindling. No research has yet examined ayam ingkung as a ritual dish in relation to Indonesian language education. This study aims to analyze the meaning of "ayam ingkung" in the "langkahan" wedding tradition through a literary gastronomy approach, as well as to examine its relevance to the teaching of descriptive texts in Indonesian Language for 8th-grade students at Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) under the Merdeka Curriculum. The method used is qualitative descriptive with a field research design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation from twelve informants selected through purposive sampling, then analyzed using Spradley’s (2016) ethnographic model grounded in Endraswara’s (2018) literary gastronomy theory. The research results indicate that ayam ingkung contains (1) symbolic meanings representing submission to God, control of one’s desires, and the hope for family unity (10 data points), (2) philosophical meanings encapsulating the seven noble Javanese values namely andhap asor, eling lan waspada, tepa selira, lilo legowo, control of desires, steadfastness of principles, and the origin of the name ingkung (21 data points), as well as (3) natural meanings reflecting local wisdom in ingredient selection and processing techniques (12 data points). These three meanings converge on two main cultural themes: respect for the family hierarchy and the balance between Javanese traditions and Islamic values. This study confirms that ayam ingkung has strong potential to be integrated as a subject for descriptive text learning in 8th-grade MTs, encouraging students to write in a multisensory manner, enriching their meaningful vocabulary, and instilling the values of local wisdom in accordance with the Pancasila Student Profile.