Tropical Fruits and Its Value

The seeds Pangium edule  is a tall tree native to the rivers banks and mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea). The fruit of Pangium edule has its native name keluak, keluwak, pucung, or picung in Indonesia and kepayang in Malay. Pangium edule fruit is a large poisonous fruit, however, through the fermentation process, local residents of the area can change the fruit seeds become an important part of the region's culinary. Characteristic of the tree: Kluwek or kepayang is a straight trunked tree; capable of reaching 60 feet high with a trunk diameter of up to 120 cm. Branches are not too tight. The leaves are heart-shaped, with a width of 15 cm. and length 20-cm. dark green and shiny on top, while the bottom is rather whitish and slightly hairy. This plant grows in the wet tropical rainforest and is a native plant that grows from Southeast Asia to the western Pacific. Kepayang Flacourtiaceae family member who is able to gr...

Pisum sativum (Pea) is an annual plant, with a life cycle of one year. This area is cold and plants grown in different parts of the world, planting can take place from winter to early summer depending on location. For the tropical type of pea is grown in areas of high, which is cool, this plant produce peas, when young will be used as fresh vegetables, especially in Asian countries. The nuts grow wild within the Mediterranean basin and the Near East. Note that the archaeological data, peas has existed since the end of the Neolithic period in the region that is now known as Greece, Syria, Turkey, and Jordan. In Egypt, found the initial date of 4800 - 4400 BC in the Nile delta area, and from ca. 3800-3600 BC in Upper Egypt. Nuts are also present in Georgia in the 5th millennium BC. Peas are present in Afghanistan 2000 BC, in Harappa, Pakistan, and in northwest India in 2250-1750 BC. In the second half of the second millennium BC, this pulse crop appears in the Ganges basin and so...

  Averrhoa bilimbi Bilimbi or Averrhoa bilimbi , originated to Moluccas, Indonesia , the species are now cultivated and found throughout the South East Asia region like Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma) and Malaysia. It is also common in other Southeast Asian countries. In India, where it is usually found in gardens, the bilimbi has gone wild in the warmest regions of the country. Outside of Asia, the tree is cultivated in Zanzibar. In 1793, the bilimbi was introduced to Jamaica from Timor and after several years, was cultivated throughout Central and South America where it is known as mimbro. Introduced to Queensland at the end of the 19th century, it has been grown commercially in the region since that time. Characteristic of the tree: Small tree, reaching 10 m tall with a trunk that is not so big and has a diameter only about 30 cm. Trunk bumpy and uneven. Bilimbi has a bumpy rough trunk , branching slightly , leaning over him . You...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum syn) is a plant belonging to the family Solanaceae, native plants of Central and South America, from Mexico to Peru. Tomato is a plant with a short life cycle, can grow as high as 1 to 3 meters. Tomato is a close relative of the potato. Tomato is a fruit that is more often used as a fruit vegetable that is very famous and be a part of the dining table anywhere in the world. Originate from subtropical climates in South America, but now has spread throughout the world. According to the article, by Andrew F. Smith's "The Tomato in America,” the tomato probably originated from the highlands of the west coast of South America. After Spanish colonized South America, they spread the tomato plants into their colonies in the Caribbean. Spanish also brought the tomato to the Philippines then, is the starting point for the spread to other areas in the entire continent of Asia. Spanish also brought the tomato to Europe. This plant grows easily in tem...

Rice is the most widely consumed staple food of the world’s, especially in Asia. Rice is the seed of the Rice Plant a monocot plant that have two main species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oriza glaberrima (African rice) . This plant is origin to China (Pearl River valley) and spread to Southeast and South Asia since 1500 BC. Rice introduced to Europe through Western Asia. European colonization then bring it to Americas. Rice cultivation is also one of the most important human civilizations, now rice cultivation become the second largest food plant cultivation after maize (corn), and rice is the most important carbohydrate source of worldwide humans.  The importance of rice for mankind was illustrated from so much research projects and development of the quality and quantity of rice production, continues holds either by the various state agencies, universities and world research institutes such as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) . IRRI is an intern...

Lemon or Key Lime or Citrus aurantifolia, is a herbaceous plant which has many branches and twigs, approximately 0.5 to 3.5 m high. Included in the group of citrus plants, this plant originated from South East Asia, spread to the Middle East, North Africa, then to Spain and Andalusia. Before reaching the sub tropical areas in American countries such as Mexico, Florida and California. Characteristic of the tree: Woody trunk tenacious, thorny, and hard. Medium colored outer skin surface of dark gray and dull greenish. The leaves are compound, with elliptical base rounded, blunt tip, and the jagged edge. The leaves can reach 2.5 to 9 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. While bone pinnate leaves with winged stalks, green and 5-25 mm wide.  Lime plant has a taproot. In common with types of citrus, the lemon tree also likes places that can get direct sunlight. Type of flowers, can be a compound or single flowers that grow in axillary or at the end of the stem, flower diameter ...

Cynometra cauliflora (Caesalpiniaeeae), also known as Nam-nam came from eastern Malesia region and grows wild in the forests of Sulawesi Island. Nam-nam is naturally grown in lowland wet. However, this plant prefers habitats that distinction clear season (monsoon), although nam-nam liked the place open full sun intensity, but also somewhat tolerant to shade. This fruit crops, although quite tasty, now endangered. Because nam-nam is not a type of crops that cultivated intensively, this plant is more to a garden crops, forests or crops that made bonsai then put in a pot and become ornamental plants. Cynometra cauliflora Characteristic of the tree: Shrubs or small trees, reaching 3-15 m tall only. Gnarled trunk, the bark is smooth nodule, brown or gray. Titled rather tight, with a winding twigs zigzag. The wood is dense and pale, but not much use. The tree generally multiplied by seed, although it can be propagated by budding, approach grafting and other methods. Compound leav...

Oriental  persimmon (Diospyros kaki) Physically this fruit is look like apple, unlike apple the outer skin of this fruit covered by a kind of flour like face powder. So, in some Southeast Asian countries this fruit sometimes named as the flirty fruit (because using face powder). This fruit is native to China and others Far East Asia Countries like Japan. However, now spread already around South East Asia Countries. In South East Asia persimmon cultivation is still very rare, so what is available in the market is highly dependent on the outcome of the plants that grow from the fields of the population that generally grow wild. However, because this fruit is a seasonal fruit, we can see abundant amounts in the markets in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. The Japanese cultivar 'Hachiya' is widely grown. "Sharon fruit" (named originally after the Sharon plain in Israel) is an Israeli-bred cultivar of the D. kaki frui...

Sugar Palm Arenga pinnata (Sugar Palm, Arenga Palm, Areng palm, Black-fiber palm, Gomuti Palm, Aren, Enau, Irok, and Kaong) , is the most important palm after Coconut, especially when measured in economic scale. This plant is another tropical palm that native to tropical Asia, as a part or wild tropical rain forest plants from eastern of India to Indonesia and the Philippines. Dutch identified this plant as arenpalm or zuikerpalm and the German named the same as zuckerpalme . Sugar palm provides various economical value, Aren Palm Sugar that almost similar to Palm Sugar that produced by coconut palm is one of this plant gain, Aren Palm Sugar is little bit better that common palm sugar. This palm sugar is derived from sweet liquid produced from this tree that called sap ( nira) , clear colored somewhat murky. Nira is not durable, and taken through the tapping of young fruit stems before flowers bloom, the tapping done after the end of the stem pieces cut in a certain way...