Hybrid food narratives and emerging rural influencers: Rethinking sago-based culinary heritage in village tourism

This study explores how sago-based local food is constructed as a narrative within rural tourism and how local actors contribute to shaping these narratives in Rutong Village, Ambon, Indonesia. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, digital content analysis, and supporting document analysis involving approximately 15–25 participants, including local food producers, community members, tourism actors, and visitors where available. The findings indicate that sago-based foods, such as sinoli and sago noodles, function as cultural resources associated with tradition, collective memory, local identity, and ecological knowledge. As tourism develops, these foods are increasingly incorporated into visitor experiences through storytelling, participation, and social interaction. The findings also indicate that food narratives are constructed through a combination of face-to-face communication and limited digital engagement. Local food producers and community members contribute to this process through cultural knowledge, social relationships, and direct interaction with visitors. The study conceptualizes this pattern as a hybrid food narrative, highlighting the coexistence of digital and non-digital communication in an emerging rural tourism context.