Food from Plants
Discover Katu Karavila: Sri Lanka’s Wild Bitter Gourd
In Sri Lanka, a variety of cultivated and wild bitter gourds occur. The most commonly collected wild bitter gourd (Momordica charantia var. muricata (Willd.) Chakrav.) is, in fact, only a semi-wild one. It is locally called කටු කරවිල (Katu Karavila),…
Inga edulis, the Ice Cream Bean
Inga edulis, the Ice Cream Bean, is also known as Snow fruit; and it has various other common names, like ‘Snow-white’ in Indonesia. We found these fruits at a wet market in Bedugul, above Danau Bratan, in the central highlands…
Jengkol seeds
Jengkol (Archidendron jiringa) is a tropical tree that grows up to 20 meters high in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. The seeds are mainly eaten in Indonesia, but also in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar. These seeds are called stink…
Cooking rice in a bamboo
Bamboo is a highly versatile plant that can be used for various applications, including cooking rice in sections of its culms. Near Gerak, in Perak State, Malaysia, I met a street vendor who was traditionally cooking rice. Similar vendors can…
Wild yam in Perak’s forests
When walking with Orang Asli people from the Jahai tribe in the forests near the Royal Belum State Park in Perak, Malaysia, they showed me their traditional favorite staple food source: wild yam tubers. These tubers can be eaten without…
Red torch ginger fruits
Red torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) fruits are commonly eaten by Jahai Orang Asli people in the forests of the northern State of Perak in Malaysia. These fruits are not only consumed by the forest dwellers of Perak State, but also…
Harvesting rattan palm hearts
When walking with Jahai Orang Asli people near the Royal Belum State Park in Perak, Malaysia, they showed me some of their plant food sources in the forests. One of them was young rattan palm shoots. For the Jahai people,…
Rattan palm fruits in Perak’s jungles
Rattan palm fruits are available from most of the 70 species of the Calamus genus in Malaysia. But also species of Daemonorps and Korthalsia rattan genera often carry edible fruits. We went with the Jahai Orang Asli people into the…
Wild ginger stalks for food
When walking with the Orang Asli people of the Jahai tribe near the Royal Belum State Park in northern Malaysia, they showed me various edible plants in the rainforest that they ate regularly. One of them was a Zingiberaceae (Ginger)…
Moon mushrooms at the Royal Belum State Park in Malaysia
Moon mushrooms (Gymnopus sp.) are one group of edible mushrooms found in the forests of Malaysia, and are locally called ‘Jamur bulan’. The other groups of edible mushrooms are colloquially known as wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms….
Fruits eaten by Mentawai people
The fruits eaten by Mentawai people in the forests are various species of bananas, coconuts, durians, and fruits from the rattan palm. Other fruits are also harvested, of which some grow wild, while others are planted and cultivated. Fruits are…
Vegetables eaten by Mentawai people
Cassava (Manihot utilissima) leaves and Fiddlehead ferns are the most essential vegetables for the Mentawai people living in the forests of Siberut Island. Both vegetables were discussed in separate articles on this webpage. Details about Cassava leaves can be found…
Carbohydrate food sources of Mentawai
Three of the four most essential food plants for Mentawai people on Siberut Island in Indonesia are carbohydrate sources. Notably, sago is a key provider, with an average composition of approximately 94% carbohydrates, about 7% moisture, and negligible other components….
Edible Ferns of Papua New Guinea
Some times ferns are eaten in large quantities. At highland pig kills, ferns are one of the most common edible greens. Some ferns are only eaten with meat. Some other ferns are eaten more regularly and are very much liked….
Origin of Bananas
Most areas of Papua New Guinea have bananas. Some people have them as their main staple food while in other areas they are just a snack food. There is a very large amount of variation within the banana varieties in…
Tu-Lip trees in Papua New Guinea
Tok Pisin: Tu lip; Scientific name: Gnetum gnemon What does a tu-lip tree look like? It is a small tree often only 8-10 metres high. It is a fairly straight tree with one trunk that has branches spread out along…
Ambarella fruit in the Mekong Delta
Ambarella fruit (Spondias dulcis Parkinson; syn.: Spondias cytherea) is native to Melanesia and Polynesia and was introduced worldwide throughout the tropics. Its other common English names are Jew plum and Golden apple. In the Mekong Delta, it is omnipresent in…
Ginger flowers add zest to food
Ginger flowers are eaten in many Southeast-Asian cultures. In Indonesia, most ginger varieties are known from Siberut Island. The native population of this island has utilized the flowers of Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm.) since ancient times for…
Young Cassava Leaves provide protein and micronutrients
Young cassava leaves are a regularly eaten side dish for Mentawai people. Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) is endemic to the southern rim of Amazonia in South America. There, it was domesticated around 5000 BC. In the 16th century AC, Spanish…
Vegetable ferns are a source of nutrients in Siberut
Vegetable ferns (Diplazium esculentum (Retz.)) are among the few wild vegetables Mentawai people in the forests eat regularly on Siberut Island. By Mentawais, they are called ‘Laipat.’ Other wild vegetables are cassava leaves, ginger flowers, taro stalks, and wild eggplants….
Rattan fruits in Siberut jungles
Rattan fruits are available throughout the year in all Southeast Asian rainforests. There are about 600 different species of rattans, and many of them bear edible fruits. However, rattan prickles are a common nuisance when walking in the jungle. Nevertheless,…
Taro – another staple food of the Mentawai people
Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is one of the three staple food items of the Mentawai people on Siberut Island in Indonesia. The other two are sago and bananas. In many other countries, taro leaves and corms are eaten. Mentawais…
Roasted Sago sticks on Siberut Island
Roasted sago starch is the staple food for Mentawai people living in the moist, tropical forests of Siberut Island, off the coast of Western Sumatra in Indonesia. On the other hand, sago, boiled to porridge, is eaten as a staple…
Mangrove apples at the Mekong Delta
Mangrove apples are the fruits of Sonneratia sp. trees, one of the important genera of trees in the Mangrove forests of Southeast Asia. All species of Sonneratia will develop edible Mangrove apples. The various Sonneratia species differ slightly in shape,…
What is Fongaar? The Tropical Tuber That’s Part Sweet Potato, Part Yam.
Scientific name: Ipomoea macrantha Roemer & Schultes; Synonyms: Ipomoea tuba (Schlechtend.) G. Don; Plant family: Convolvulaceae; Tok ples: Fongaar What is the plant like? The plant has a long angular vine 5 to 6 metres long and it climbs up…
Pitpit – Edible grasses in Papua New Guinea
Three types of pitpit grow in Papua New Guinea: Coastal pitpit The pitpit plant looks like sugarcane to which it is related. Normally the stalk is thinner than sugarcane. It can grow up to 3 metres high and produces suckers…
Wild Karuka and another pandanus fruit species
The Pandanaceae botanical family comprises the following six species in Papua New Guinea: ‘Karuka’ and ‘Marita’ were already discussed on this website in two former articles. ‘Karuka’, see here, and ‘Marita’ see there. In the following, ‘Wild Karuka’ and Pandanus…
Karuka – cultivated pandanus fruits and nuts
Tok Pisin: Karuka Scientific name: Pandanus jiulianettii Two species of pandanus are commonly used for the nuts that are eaten. They are Karuka (Pandanus jiulianettii Martelli) and wild Karuka (Pandanus brosimos Merr & Perry). At least 3 other species of…
Giant Taro – a plant with a giant root
English: Giant taro; Scientific name: Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott; Synonyms: Alocasia indica (Lour.) Spach; Plant family: Araceae Description of Giant Taro plants A very large herb of the taro family. It has a stout erect trunk up to 4 m…
Marita – a lesser known pandanus fruit
English names: Marita or ‘Red Fruit’ Tok pisin name: Marita Bahasa Indonesia name: Buah Merah Scientific name: Pandanus conoideus Lamarck The marita pandanus plant A short much branched screw pine with many prop roots. The prop roots have prickles. Trees…
Yam varieties in Papua New Guinea
Four species of yam are commonly grown and used for food in Papua New Guinea – but often naming in villages and naming by scientists do not agree. Many village people regard potato yam and 5-leaflet yam as varieties of…
Solomon’s Sago – another Sago palm species
How is this sago different? The Solomon’s sago palm that occurs in the North Solomon province and the Solomon Islands is quite different from the sago that grows in other areas of Papua New Guinea. It has a different scientific…
Sago – staple food in parts of Papua New Guinea
There are two Sago palm species in Papua New Guinea. Metroxylon sagu Rottb. and the other one occurs in North Solomons Province and the Solomon Islands. Its scientific name is Metroxylon salomonense. The sago palm plant The sago palm grows…
Bamboo shoot harvesting at the Red River
With more than 70 bamboo species throughout the country, we can easily find bamboo thickets anywhere in Vietnam. Many could nurture one of the most popular and favored vegetarian foods for Vietnamese people, bamboo shoot harvesting. Two main types of…
Indochina Dragon Plums from Hanoi streets
The Indochina Dragon Plum (Dracontomelon duperreanum) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae. In Vietnamese, it is called chi sấu). Dragon Plums are one of the most popular trees on the side of Hanoi streets. The fruits…
Marang fruits in Southeast-Asian Rainforests
There are several local names for the tree and fruits of Artocarpus odoratissimus. In English, it is simply called ‘Marang’, which is based on the Philippines’ common name for this fruit. Originally endemic to the region around Mindanao, Sarawak, Kalimantan,…
Cashew apples and -nuts in Goa, India
Cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale) are native to areas around Northeastern Brazil. Portuguese colonists brought them around 1560 to Goa, India, from where they spread to Southeast Asia and Africa. Therefore, cashew products already have a long history in Goa and…
Jujube trees at Ayutthaya in Thailand
The Ayutthaya Historical Park covers the ruins of the old city, which was founded by the Khmer in 850 AD and named after the Hindu holy city of Ajodhya. The city was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767 and has…
Chanterelle mushrooms in Thailand
Thai chanterelles, specifically Cantharellus minor, live in symbiosis with Gurjun trees (Dipterocarpus tuberculatus) in semi-deciduous Southeast-Asian forests. These trees are easily identified due to their double-winged (di-ptero) fruits with big seeds. Besides Cantharellus minor, other species of chanterelle mushrooms are…
Harvesting and opening Nipa Palm fruits
Nipa palms (Nypa fruticans) are a species of palms especially adapted to muddy environments of slow-moving tidal waters and mangrove forests. They occur in Asia-Pacific tropical climates. Nipa palm fruits are delicious to eat. Both the fruits and wooden parts…
Morning glory – a valuable wild vegetable in Asia
Swamp morning glory or Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) has various common names, like ‘Kangkong’ in Southeast Asia or ‘Kung Shin Tsai’ in China. It is a staple vegetable food throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It is deficient in calories (19 cal/100…
Heavenly Durian
The fruit Durian (Durio zibethinus) is named after the Malay word ‘Duri’ for ‘Thorn’, referring to the thorny skin, and ‘zibethinus’ obviously refers to its smell. And the most sought-after variety in Malaysia is ‘Musang King’, where ‘Musang’ means ‘Palm…