Pangium

Pangium is a genus in the family Achariaceae containing the sole species Pangium edule, a tall tree native to the mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). It produces a large poisonous fruit (the "football fruit" or pangi) which can be made edible by fermentation. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate individuals.

The taxonomy of the tree is uncertain, and it may also be classed in the Flacourtiaceae or the Violales.

Description

The tree can reach in height. The leaves are heart-shaped. The brownish fruit grows in clusters and is shaped like a pear.

Cultivation

The tree requires many years to mature, and the seeds are therefore most frequently harvested from wild trees, as it is not economically feasible to cultivate. Although poisonous to humans, the seeds of the tree form part of the natural diet of the babirusa (Babyroussa babyrussa).

Uses

File:Pangium edule seeds.JPG

Seeds used as spice in Indonesian cooking (rawon beef stew)

The fresh fruit and seeds contain hydrogen cyanide, and are thus deadly poisonous if consumed without prior preparation. The seeds are first boiled and then buried in ash, banana leaves and earth for forty days, during which time they turn from a creamy white colour to dark brown or black. The method relies on the fact that the hydrogen cyanide released by the boiling and fermentation is water-soluble and easily washed out.

The kernels may be ground up to form a thick black gravy called . Popular dishes include , beef stew in paste, popular in East and Central Java, and , rawon stew made with beef or chicken, also made in East Java. In West Java and Jakarta, , snakehead fish in paste soup, is a popular traditional dish in Betawi cuisine. The Toraja dish (black spice with fish or meat, also sometimes with vegetables) uses the black powder. In Singapore and Malaysia, the seeds are best known as an essential ingredient in ayam (chicken) or babi (pork) , a mainstay of Peranakan cuisine. The Dusun tribe of Borneo use this pounded kernel as main ingredient for making local signature dish called , a sour fermented fish.

People of the Minahasa tribe in North Sulawesi use the young leaves as a vegetable, slicing them small, then cooking them with herbs and pork fat or meat inside bamboo. Many sellers in the Tomohon traditional market sell the leaves.

Nutrition

The edible portions of the plant are an excellent source of vitamin C and high in iron.