''Pangium'' is a genus 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 Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, 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 A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are heart-shaped. The brownish fruit grows in clusters and 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

The fresh fruit and seeds contain

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

and are 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 exists in East Java. In West Java and Jakarta, or

snakehead fish The snakeheads are members of the freshwater perciform fish family Channidae, native to parts of Africa and Asia. These elongated, predatory fish are distinguished by their long dorsal fins, large mouths, and shiny teeth. They breathe air with ...

in paste soup is a popular traditional dish in

Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of regional immigrants that came from various places in the Indonesian archipelago, as well as Chinese, Indian, Arab, and ...

. 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. Dusun tribe from Borneo use this pounded kernel as main ingredient for making local signature dish called , sour taste fermented fish. People of Minahasa tribe in North Sulawesi use young leaves as vegetable. The leaves will be sliced into small part then it is cooked by mixing with herbs and pork fat or meat inside bamboo. Many sellers in Tomohon traditional market sell the leaves whether sliced or not.

Nutrition

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

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q974608, from2=Q18667433 Achariaceae Edible nuts and seeds Monotypic Malpighiales genera Dioecious plants Potentially dangerous food