Tropical Fruits and Its Value

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...

A coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is the sole member of the genus Cocos tribe Arecaceae (Palm family). This tree produces fruit that has same name: Coconut. This tree spread throughout tropical and sub tropical area, and the plant is believed to come from the Indian Ocean coast on the Asian side. This plant is used almost all the parts by humans, so it is considered as a multipurpose plant, especially for coastal communities. Palm tree leaves used for various purposes, such as for firewood after the first dried. Old coconut trunks are made of building materials and furniture materials. Young coconuts enjoyed as fresh fruit, with natural sweet water, can also be used as part of a range of quality food dish. Her pieces are being widely used as a source of cooking oil, in Southeast Asia the old juice called coconut milk is an important ingredient in their traditional cuisine.  Coconut flower, tapped to take water called sap. This juice is an ingredient for making coconut...

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is a spice plants, popular all over the world. When you go to the supermarket, you may found coriander powder inside a bottle that powder comes from a small fruit that is dried and then crushed. Coriander form and shape is very similar to pepper, small seeds 1-2 mm in diameter. Coriander is known to have functions as food and herbal medicine. As a seasoning spice, coriander fruit is widely used in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. In the world of herbal medicine coriander, known as Fructus coriandri. There are some versions regarding to the native of this plant, but majority of them noted that Coriander trees comes from South Europe and Caspian Sea. Characteristic of the tree: Coriander can be grown in lowland and upland to a height of 2,000 meters above sea level. The plants were harvested after only three months old, then dried, and the fruit is brownish separated from the plant.  Coriander plant is includ...

Pepper (Piper nigrum) is a form of whole spices produced by the plant with the same name. Pepper is very important in components of world cuisine and is widely known as an important trade commodity in the "Old World.” In the past, the price is so high that it became one of the triggers of the Europeans to the exploration of East Asia for control of trade and, thus, began the history of the colonization of Africa, Asia, and America. Piper nigrum is a type of vines, a part of the Piperaceae family. Pepper cultivation is intended to produce fruit, which is then dried and used as a spice. The fruit that knows, as black pepper or white pepper is a fresh fruit that measuring about 5 mm in diameter, dark red when fully ripe. Pepper powder is come from grinding dried pepper fruit. Piper nigrum originated from India and widely cultivated there and in other tropical regions. Currently Vietnam is the largest producer and exporter in the world. Characteristics of trees:  ...

Clove tree or Cengkeh - Indonesia (Syzygium aromaticum) is native to Indonesia, specifically from the Moluccas Island . In fact, the main part that utilized and has most economic value of clove tree is the flowers of cloves not its fruit, but people often mistakenly assume its flower as the fruit of clove.  Since the colonial era in medieval clove has become important horticultural merchandise, clove is one of the most important spice ingredients for the European community. At the time of the Dutch occupation of Indonesia, cloves is one of their essential commodities, in addition to nutmeg, sugar etc. In addition to Indonesia's clove is also cultivated in Madagascar, Zanzibar, India, and Sri Lanka, the mentioned countries are also the main producers of clove of the world. More than only utilized in food and culinary, cloves is also an important part of cigarette called cigarette kretek in Indonesia, the clove oil also utilized as aroma therapy ingredient, and i...