Eating Well – Page 6 – Suria Helang Lui

20 Aug 2015

0 Comments By admin Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Herbal Therapy

How the Super 5 salad came about

Over the years, I have continued my research on the various herbs and plants that I have planted at the farm. I read up research articles, talked to alternative medicine practitioners as well as tried them out myself. It is born out of my love for healing, gardening and keeping our tradition alive. So this article is based on what I have learnt and experienced.

We live in a country rich in natural resources that we have only just begun to document with many of the information passed over the generations by word of mouth. Whilst pharmaceuticals tend to address corrective measures, our ancestors had a diet full of preventive measures and my aim is to focus more on preventive measures but at the same time look for curative measures.

In our fast-paced life, I find that salads are one of the best mechanisms for eating food that is nutritious and full of preventive measures – all of it being organic since introducing chemical pesticides and herbicides only adds toxins and cancer-causing elements to out diet. In selecting the Super 5 salad elements, I focussed on our main major illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, gout to name a few. So in my research, I looked at what were the major causes and how to control them within our bodies. Another important factor was the ease of growing and caring for these plants so people can succeed in growing them in their home gardens.

My Super 5 consists of ulam raja (cosmos caudantus), ruku or selasih hitam (holy basil), kemangi (lemon basil), tujuh bilah or bintang tujuh (pereskia sacharosa) and selasih putih (white basil).

Ulam raja is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. With this herb, it is addressing almost all our major organs as well as our bones. It is easily propagated from seeds.
Ruku, with its anise-like flavour, adds the respiratory health elements as well antioxidants and anti bacteria. With this herb, we are focussing on the respiratory system. It is easily propagated from seeds.
Kemangi, with its citrus aroma has blood cleanser, antioxidant, anti bacteria as well as heart strengthening element. With this herb, the focus is our blood system. It is easily propagated from seeds.
Tujuh bilah is known in the herbal world as being an anti-cancer agent and antioxidants. It is easily propagated from stem cuttings.
Selasih putih has antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-bacterial properties and helps in the digestion process. With this herb, we are focussing on the digestion system. It is easily propagated from seeds.

All these plants grow in full sun or semi-shade and are easy to care for. Regular pruning will encourage new growth and maintain a healthy plant. It can all be planted in pots or polybags so not having any ground to plant is not an issue. With the exception of tujuh bilah, all are annuals although the life expectancy can be increased with regular pruning.

To further enhance the value of the salad, a serai or lemongrass infused olive oil dressing can be prepared by placing chopped, cleaned lemongrass stalk and leaves at least overnight in the olive oil to allow the flavours and essence to infuse into the olive oil and adding salt and pepper as well as a dash of lemon juice to taste. This will further add cleansing and anti-cancer properties to your salad as well as nutrients. So, next time you want to have a salad, try this and taste the flavour of these leaves and reap the benefits.

12 Aug 2015

0 Comments By admin Armchair journal, Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Healthy Options, Well-being Landscape

Just drink it :)

After a conversation that I had with a very good friend, I was inspired to share this. Oftimes we feel lazy to eat fresh “ulam” or find it difficult to find. I remember my late great grandmother, late grandmother and even my mother have “ulam” at almost every lunch and dinner. For us nowadays, in the age of technology and processed foods, we have lost this tradition until we get sick and then we scour all over the place for them. At the farm, part of the aim is to keep the species alive and continue to propagate them.
The beauty of these herbs is that they can be consumed as a drink and done in such a way so that it becomes a regular drink and no longer thought of a medicinal or health drink. Many can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge, ready to drink or as a concentrate which can later be mixed with hot or cold water to drink.
The can also be easily planted and cared for, and can be planted in containers for those with limited ground space. As long as the plants can receive about 6 hours of sunlight a day, the soil not left to dry out and planted in a good soil mix, they can produce the necessary leaves and flowers for consumption. Since we live in a tropical climate, we do not have to worry about planting times as we can plant throughout the year.
Since the purpose is to produce quality for our consumption, I strongly suggest that it be planted organically, using organic fertiliser and pest control and totally avoiding chemical and toxic pesticides. Basically, we should feel comfortable to pluck the leaf and eat it directly from the plant.
So, here is my top 10 list:

Lemon grass or serai
Lemon basil or kemangi (produces small white flowers)
Cosmos caudantus or ulam raja (produces 5-petal pink with yellow centre flower)
Cat’s whiskers or misai kucing (produces white or lilac flowers)
Holy basil or ruku (produces tiny purple flowers)
Pereskia sacarosa or tujuh bilah (produces vibrant pink or red flowers)
Asiatica pennywort or pegaga
Chinese betel or sireh cina
Snakegrass or belalai gajah
White basil or selasih putih (produces tiny white flowers)

Tujuh bilah

Misai Kucing

Ulam Raja

Ruku

Selasih Putih

The above plants either on its own or in combination is purported to address may different diseases or illnesses including cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, and gout as well as detoxifying your body. It also includes antioxidants as well as containing many different vitamins and minerals.
It is important to remember that it is the fresh, green leaves that are used and not the old brown, dried leaf. So, when planning you garden, whether it is in a patio, cemented space or ground soil, why not include these plants 🙂

18 May 2015

3 Comments By admin Banana, Eating Well, Healthy Options, SHL Products

Bananas: Berangan or Emas

I admit it – I still prefer the originals, no genetically modified for me. The taste you get from the originals are special. Pisang Berangan is about slightly more than double the size of Pisang Emas and the difference doesn’t stop there. Both bananas are eaten raw but over-ripe pisang emus can be turned into a lovely pancake and also our favourite local cucur – cucur kodok or as the northerners call it: cok kodok. However, both varieties do not make good banana fritters as they tend to soak in lots of oil.
Just ripen, pisang berangan (left) and pisang emas (right)

Two days later, you can see the difference in the skin colours.

The pisang berangan skin turns yellow as it matures and as it further ripens has a slight orange tint to it. The flesh is white and has a sweet taste with a subtle sourness to it. The texture is almost cake-like with a lower water content by comparison and almost melt in your mouth. Because of the taste and texture, it tastes great when turned into a banana split with chocolate or vanilla ice cream as it balances the creamy sweet taste of the ice cream.

Pisang berangan (left) and pisang emas (right)

By comparison, pisang emus skin turns yellow as it matures but as it further ripens, becomes a golden yellow. The flesh is slightly yellow and it gets to be a golden yellow as it further ripens. The texture is more solid and it gets even sweeter as it ripens. When it is over-ripe, it tends to get slightly watery due to its higher water content making it easy to turn into a mush for pancakes or cok kodok.

20 Feb 2015

2 Comments By admin Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Trellis Plants

SHL Trellis Adventure Part 2 – Pumpkins

I have tried planting pumpkins with and without trellis and find that the fruits are better when they grow on a trellis. So December 2014, I seeded various types of pumpkin seeds. Previously, I had
bought commercial seeds and they didn’t have a good sprouting rate, about 50%. This time around, I bought 4 different varieties of organic pumpkin – I prefer speckled pumpkins – and then selected the good-sized, fat seeds and placed them in a colander to dry. The skinny seeds do not sprout since they do not have enough “meat” to start a plant. I had tried drying them on newspaper and it ended with them getting stuck on the newspaper. I store the excess dried seeds wrapped in a newspaper in a dry, cool area.

I sow the seeds in small polybags, about 9 cm across, filled with a soil mixture containing soil,
organic matter and fertilizer and place them in a sunny location. I water them everyday, taking care not to have the soil too wet and never letting them dry out. The seeds sprout in 5-7 days. Two “baby leaves” will appear first before the normal shaped leaves will appear which looks very different from the baby leaves. After the third normal leaf has appeared, I will transplant them into the ground. After 1 week, I will fertilise it with about 1 teaspoon of organic fertiliser. I find that the “trailers” will start to appear after about 2 weeks and the plant will start to climb up the trellis. By having them grow on a trellis also helps me control the spread of the plant and enables me to easily spot the pumpkins as well as keeping it away from the ground pest and keeping it clean.

This time around, I changed the design of the trellis from the x-shape to a platform-style trellis. This design helps to support the fruit, which can weigh over 1 kg. It also provides for a wider area for the plant to creep along and provides me easier access when I need to do plant maintenance. The plants love full sunlight and the leaves tend to slightly wilt during the peak hot afternoon but will perk-up as the heat eases off.

I will remove any old or yellowed leaves
whenever I spot it as well as any leave that covers-up a flower. The aim is to provide easy access for the insects to pollinate. Removing these leaves also encourages growth. Fruits will also result from pollinated flowers hence it is important to increase the chances of pollination for the flowers. All 4 types of pumpkin produce a beautiful, bright yellow flower. Any flower that does not produce a flower will drop off, still in good shape. I will collect these flowers and cook them – they are edible.

The fruit are ready for harvest when the white area of the speckled skin has turned into an off-white colour with a slight brown tinge. These pumpkins can be cooked in many ways either as a sweet or savoury dish. A simple way to prepare pumpkin is to slice them to about 0.5cm thickness, and coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill or bake them. Simply delicious. You can do more complex dishes like masak lemak labu dengan udang, pengat labu and even pumpkin pie. The young pumpkin leaves and shoots can also be used to cook in savoury dishes. I like to eat the pumpkin for its many benefits including the high content of anti-oxidants, vitamins such as A, C and E, whilst containing no saturated fats or cholesterol. It is also rich in the vitamin Bs. All in all, something good to eat 🙂

20 Jan 2015

0 Comments By admin Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Vegetables, Well-being Landscape

Tomatoes, oh Tomatoes

One of my favourite fruity vegetables is the tomatoes, organically grown and vine-ripened since I
love them raw with its natural sweetness. I have planted them many times over the years and with each time, I learn more and more. This time around, it looks like the yield will be more and the plants are the healthiest.

Tomatoes, whether ripe or not, are a favourite of many animals from worms and caterpillars to birds including chickens. I have experimented planting them outdoors and in the greenhouse. Due to the nature of my farm, where birds are free, the outdoor experiment resulted in me just feeding them. So, now I only plant them in the greenhouse.

I plant them from seeds – it germinates in a few days – in the ground. The quality of the seed is important for a good quality tree. From my experiments, I find that unless you obtain vine-ripened tomatoes, the quality of the seed is not good even though it germinates. If it is not vine-ripened, even if the tomato is left to ripen, the seed doesn’t seem to further mature enough to produce good quality plants. Most store-bought tomatoes are picked before it fully ripens, probably due to transportation and distribution time delays. After it has produced 3 or more leaves (after the initial baby leaves which is normally 2 of them), I will transplant most of them into 20 cm diameter polybags, starting them at half full. Through its life cycle, the roots will appear at the top so by starting half-full, it allows for me to cover the roots with more soil without the need to transplant them. I do plant some in the ground but this limits the utilisation of the land and I can plant more tomato plants in polybags and have a more controlled setting.

Time to top-up the soil

The soil mixture I use is rich, organic soil – I tend to mix various things and then run my fingers through them to see if it feels right to me. So, please do not ask what the ratios of soil, organic matter,sand, etc are. It has to be able to run through my fingers and not lumpy. I will water immediately upon transplanting, irrespective the time of day. When I see the roots at the soil surface, I will top up with more soil, covering them.

I fertilise weekly, in small amounts, and also spray with home-made organic fertiliser/pest control spray. I experimented over the years and find that this spray works best so for now, my experimenting on the tomato spray is done. It prevents ants, white flies and also other assorted pests. It also seems to improve the health of the plant. I use vermicompost as the “solid” fertiliser which I use about 1 teaspoon weekly per plant. Tomatoes require lots of water for nice luscious fruits but not soggy, muddy soil so it is important that the soil contains enough organic matter to hold water and not suffocated the roots with mud-like sludge. I water them twice a day on hot days, once early morning before 9am and once again in the late afternoon and on cool, rainy days, once in the morning.

The white flies are the most notorious to me followed by the
caterpillar. The white flies lay eggs at the bottom of the leave and these babies then seem to suck the life out of the leaves, causing them to yellow and wither. The spray I use addresses this problem and I have to be diligent about spraying it once a week. In between sprays, I also water spray them off should I notice them. Since this spray is non-toxic and provides lots of benefits, I have now started spraying them twice a week so I have to continuously prepare more concentrate. The EM concentrate is made by mixing vegetarian kitchen wastes such as papaya skins and other fruit skins and pulp, tomato skins, vegetable stems, with molasses and fermenting them for 3 months in an air-tight container. Weekly, I will open the lid of the container to release the gases produced by the fermentation process. To create the spray, I mix approximately 100ml of the concentrate to 1 litre of water with a flat-teaspoon of Epsom salts. I also sometime mix in some serai wangi juice to add additional pest deterrent properties.

Caterpillar and what is left of the fruit

The caterpillars can munch their way through lots of leaves and also the fruit, leaving just the skin of the fruit. It is quite amazing to see them munching their way through. Whilst butterflies may be beautiful, they are a great pest to this plants and their babies, the caterpillars are monster leave and fruit eaters. Then we have the ants, which creates like a white cocoon to place their eggs where the babies will then such the sap out of the stem, effectively slowly killing the plant. I also periodically remove any leaves that have signs of pests or “illness” to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the plant and I also remove old or yellowing leaves.

From my experience, tomato plants require support as it fruits or you will end up with broken stems as it cannot support the weight. I will wind “talk raffia” around the stems to support the stems. This time around, this is something that I diligently need to do as the plants are producing substantial fruits. Just placing a stake to support the main stem is insufficient, I need to support the fruiting branches also. When planted in a pot and if you would like for it to be free-standing and easy to move around for your landscaping, I find using a T-shaped stake is best as it allows to the main stem to be supported as well as allow you to attaches strings and fine ropes from the top T to the fruiting branches. From seeding to this point in fruiting, it took about 2 months.

I love watching the fruit turn from green to yellow to orange before finally vine-ripening to a red colour. Once the fruit turns yellow, it takes a few days before becoming red and then it is at its prime in taste. Each bunch can contain several tomatoes and they do not all ripen at the same time. You can use these seeds to start a new generation of plants. I dry them first and this allow me the option to sow the seeds when I want to. When picked at its prime, you can store in the refrigerator for at least two weeks without significant degradation of taste and juiciness.

Updates: March 15, 2015

18 Dec 2014

0 Comments By admin Eating Well, Edible Landscape

Peria Katak or Balsam Apple

I find this climbing plant to be a very pretty plant, from the leaves to the flowers to the fruit and seeds. The botanical name is Momordica Charantia and in English it is know as bitter gourd, bitter melon, balsam pear or balsam apple. These plants are annuals and from my experience, it lasts about 6 months before the quality of the plant and fruit starts to drop.

I am not an avid fan of this fruit-vegetable but it has good therapeutic value that I do try to consume it. So, to to do that, I have to plant it so I can be confident that it is as natural as possible without all those chemical pesticides and fertilisers since I want to eat it for the health benefits. I bought a few packets of seeds and managed to get some plants to grow. The fruits are of different sizes so I do not worry about the sizes. After all, these are not on growth hormones :).

It takes about 1 week for the seeds to germinate and sprout. I seed them in small polybags filled with high organic content soil. Once it has sprouted, I will wait until it has produced more than two leaves and the “climbing” stems has appeared before adding organic fertilisers such as vermicompost or other types of organic fertilisers. After 1 week, it is transplanted outdoors on beds with stakes. Since it is a creeper, this can be an addition to your edible landscape at your home by placing it near a trellis so that it can climb its way. You can also “train” it to grow in the direction you want by placing the shoots in that direction. It loves the sun and doesn’t do as well in semi-shady areas.

It produces bright yellow flowers with an orange centre. Not all
flowers will produce the fruit, only pollinated ones. So, I find that planting a few of these plants close helps increase the rate of cross-pollination. It is also important to remove the yellowed and old leaves to encourage growth as well as to provide easy access for the insects to the flowers for pollination. A healthy plant will produce an abundance of foliage which often will hide some of the flowers so I also tend to remove the leaves around the flowers.

I fertilise every 2 weeks with organic fertiliser and ensure it receives sufficient water, either by rainfall or watering it. We have the blessings of abundant clean water, free or chlorine or other additives and I feel that it makes a difference. As with many vegetables, drainage is important. To control pests, we use organic pesticides such as serai wangi spray – home-made because we have planted it for the main purpose of making our own organic pest control.

I have been disappointed with the results from bought packaged seeds so I decided to produce my own, I allow the fruit to ripen to a bright yellow-orange before I pluck it from the plant. I will then place it in whole on a shelf and wait for it to burst open on its own, which is normally about a day later. The individual seeds are coated with a bright red skin which is peeled off to uncover the light brown seed which an interesting “flowery” edge, a very distinctive form and so far the only seed that I have seen that has a pattern around the edges, The seed should feel firm and not soft indicating that it is mature enough to be planted. Should you buy seeds, test the firmness of the seed, if it is soft, it will not produce plants or produce weak plants. To store these seeds, keep them in a dry and cool area and they can last a few months.

In traditional and homeopathic therapy, it is used as a treatment for diabetes. For Malays, it has long been eaten as ulam with sambal belacan. It is also a favourite among “juicers”. Further information in natural medicine can be found in this link >> http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2012-10/nutrient-profile-bitter-melon-momordica-charantia.

Bitter gourd pods
boiled, drained, no salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	79 kJ (19 kcal)

Carbohydrates	4.32 g
Sugars	1.95 g
Dietary fiber	2 g

Fat	0.18 g

Protein	0.84 g

Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv. beta-carotene lutein zeaxanthin	(1%) 6 μg (1%) 68 μg 1323 μg
Thiamine (B1)	(4%) 0.051 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	(4%) 0.053 mg
Niacin (B3)	(2%) 0.28 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	(4%) 0.193 mg
Vitamin B6	(3%) 0.041 mg
Folate (B9)	(13%) 51 μg
Vitamin C	(40%) 33 mg
Vitamin E	(1%) 0.14 mg
Vitamin K	(5%) 4.8 μg

Trace metals
Calcium	(1%) 9 mg
Iron	(3%) 0.38 mg
Magnesium	(5%) 16 mg
Manganese	(4%) 0.086 mg
Phosphorus	(5%) 36 mg
Potassium	(7%) 319 mg
Sodium	(0%) 6 mg
Zinc	(8%) 0.77 mg

Other constituents
Water	93.95 g
Link to USDA Database entry
Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units
Percentages are roughly approximated usingUS recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Updated 17 February, 2015

26 Nov 2014

0 Comments By admin Banana, Eating Well

Bananas: What can I do with it?

In my banana plant quest, to date we have 17 varieties at the farm and I am still looking for a few more. There are many ways that they can be consumed and as listed in the table below, although this is not an exhaustive list as it only covers what we grow at the farm:

Banana Variety	State of Fruit	Ways of consuming
Abu Bunga	Unripen	Cooked in savoury dishes like curry
	Ripe	Boiled, Banana fritter, Steamed with glutinous rice, cooked in sweetened oconut milk
Awak (seedless)	Ripe	Eaten raw, Banana fritter, Cooked with sweetened coconut milk.
Berangan	Ripe	Eaten raw
Emas	Ripe	Eaten raw
	Over-ripe	Banana pancake, Cakes and muffins
Embun Dingin	Ripe	Eaten raw
Embun Wangi	Ripe	Eaten raw
Kapas	Unripen	Cooked in savoury dishes like curries
	Ripe	Eaten raw, Banana pancakes, Mashed banana fritter balls (cucur kodok)
Lemak Manis	Ripe	Eaten raw, Banana pancakes
Lidi	Unripen	Cooked in savoury dishes like curries
	Ripe	Eaten raw
Nangka	Unripen	Banana chips
	Ripe	Banana fritters
Nipah (Abu Batu)	Unripen	Cooked in savoury dishes like curries
	Ripe	Boiled, Banana fritter, Steamed with glutinous rice
Raja	Ripe	Eaten raw, Banana fritters, Steamed with glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves
Rastali	Ripe	Eaten raw, Banana pancakes, Cakes and Muffins
Ruai	Unripen	Cooked in savoury dishes like curries
	Ripe	Eaten raw
Tanduk	Unripen	Banana chips
	Ripe	Banana fritters, Cooked with sweetened coconut milk
Telor	Ripe	Eaten raw
	Over-ripe	Banana pancake, Cakes and muffins
Udang	Ripe	Eaten raw, Banana pancakes

For the inflorescence or jantung, for non-bitter tasting, you can try the ones from Pisang Abu Bunga, Kapas, Nipah and Raja.
For those who have asked, we do sell our plants periodically so feel free to contact us.

19 Oct 2014

0 Comments By admin Eating Well, SHL Products, SHL Project

Journey through teas

In doing my research of each of the individual types of leaves that can be turned into teas, most of the therapeutic benefits tend to be listed as anecdotal and very few have had extensive research done. I can understand why this is so: research costs money and if something cannot be patented that it is of no interest to the pharmaceutical companies. I remember the attempt by a major company within the last year to try and patent Habatus Sauda which to me was absurdity to the maximum. This spice has been used for centuries by many cultures and now that this giant company see that money can be made out of it, tried to patent it to prevent others from selling it. Studies have been done by universities on soursop leaves and lemon grass that focussed mainly of the nutrition aspects of it as well as the chemical composition as well as the cancer preventive and curative aspects of it. Since no major profits can be expected, this is not well publicised and therapeutic properties is still mainly anecdotal.

Misai Kucing

Serai

As such, I began my own journey on the herbal teas based on plants and trees that are grown in Malaysia and grows well here in our tropical climate. I spoke and discussed with several traditional medicine practitioners, people who have taken or tried them, as well as reading up on any study that I can find on them. The choices plants are plentiful so I decided to focus on misai kucing (cat’s whiskers), durian belanda (soursop), ruku (holy basil), kemangi (lemon basil) and serai (lemon grass). The reason is due to its therapeutic values for diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory system and cancer as well as serving as a detoxification agent.

Kemangi

Ruku

With these five basic herbs and leaves, there are many options for blending depending on the therapeutic values being sought. From a personal perspective, I wanted to have teas that provide me with therapeutic values whilst not tasting like “medicine” or unpleasant such as bitter. I also wanted prevention options as well as curative without the many side effects as often found in pharmaceutical medication. Being able to consume it as part of my normal drinks list was critical so that I can continue to drink them without feeling like I am taking medication.

Durian Beland

From the farm production perspective, we are able to produce pure teas as well as blended teas and now custom-blended teas. I have always enjoyed providing personal touches so the custom-blended teas enabled me to tailor the teas in accordance to customers needs. My philosophy to is have the tea produced in smaller batches and often, with no preservative and maximum therapeutic benefits. As such, we do not keep stock of more than 1 month and the teas can last for several months stored in a cool and dry area. From my own testing, it can last for over 6 months with no impact to taste or condition of the tea. I am happy that at the moment, I am not able to keep stock as the teas run out within a couple of weeks after production.

To me it is key that no chemical pesticides or herbicides are used so as not to introduce contaminants. As such, they are all grown organically using organic fertilisers and organic pesticide control. It doesn’t make sense to produce something for its therapeutic values and yet using growing methods that introduces contaminants which often are toxic or carcinogenic.

At the moment, the farm produces for local consumption only and in order not to impact quality and our principles, we do not cater for the mass market. At the end of the day, this project allows me to pursue one of my passions and is infinitely satisfying.

28 Sep 2014

2 Comments By admin Banana, Eating Well, Edible Landscape, Healthy Options

Bananas – Pisang Tanduk

It took me quite some time to find baby plants of the pisang tanduk. This plant is getting to be rare and the bananas are difficult to find at the markets. It turns out that my uncle had some and he gave me 10 baby plants. And so my study of the pisang tanduk begins.

The plant grow to about 6m tall, shorter to many of the other smaller size banana plants. We planted it in a high organic content soil area. The banana has a unique shape and is easily the largest banana amongst the many varieties of this plant. The uniqueness of this banana plant is that it doesn’t have an inflorescence or jantung like the other banana plants. It is a big size banana and at the farm, one fruit can weigh 500gm. It took slightly more than 1 year before we had our first harvest.

This banana has lots of vitamins and minerals so it is an added bonus to the great taste. Naturally ripened, it has a very sweet with a touch of sourness taste hence is a favorite for banana fritters and a sweet coconut based dessert: pengat pisang amongst banana connoisseurs. If the fruit was not left to properly mature and ripen, it will not have the sweetness but more of a sour creamy taste and you may be disappointed.

It can also be steamed and eaten with or without a sweet syrup. However, not many people know of this banana nowadays due to its scarcity. Mature but unripened bananas are also a favourite for making banana chips or kerepek pisang. It can also be peeled and sliced and used in savoury dishes like curry. In short, it can be fried, grilled, steamed or boiled – so many options.

I am happy that we have this banana plant species at the farm as it is getting harder and harder to find it at the market. So, should you ever find good quality pisang tanduk, I hope you will try it and enjoy the tasteful experience.

17 Jul 2014

0 Comments By admin Eating Well

Joys of Hulu Langat Durian Season

It is that time of the year again – the Durian Season of Hulu Langat. I am very partial to these “original durians”, those that have not been genetically modified or subjected to hormones and such. To me, part of the joy of eating these durians is the discovery of what the fruit is like and the great
taste. No matter how much we tamper with nature, I feel that what nature produces surpasses our intervention. I do not get bored eating them.

We have brought the durians to market at the Sg. Penchala Pasar Ramadhan this season and I am happy that we have a good response to our fruits. One of the questions that I was asked that I thought was interesting was: “Do you pick them from the tree when they are mature?”. We do not pick them from the tree, we wait for them to fall off the tree. The best time to eat them is the day after it fell off the tree. We do not inject the trees to encourage fruiting either. I find it interesting that some people shake the durian in order to select the durian – apparently this is done when buying GM durians to see if the fruit have lots of flesh or more empty space. Original durians tend to be packed int he fruit so they do not move around in their “cocoon”. The Hulu Langat durian season last for about 1 month and the best fruits are obtained from the second week, somehow the tree gets rid of the “not so good” fruits in the first few days.

Our durians do not have names like D24, C101 or the like – these are from GM durian trees. Our durians have names like durian kunyit, tembaga, telor buaya and api. The size and shape of the fruits are not the same from the same tree. The fruit taste varies from tree to tree, from sweet and creamy to sweet with a bite to it, and the flesh colour from creamy white to orange-yellow. It is an adventure.

With the abundance with durians, what do you do with them apart from eating them fresh? There are many options. You can make lempok durian, lemang durian, kuah durian, dodol durian, durian ice cream and durian cream which you can use as a filling for crepes. These are the sweet dishes. For savoury dishes, you can make tempoyak, which essentially is “fermented” durian that is used in gulai tempoyak and also sambal tempoyak.

For making tempoyak, you can use durians that are a few days old and those that have naturally “split” open. Just remove the flesh from the seeds and place them in a container and place in the refrigerator for a few days before you start using them to make your savoury dishes. It can keep for a couple of months.

If you find a particular fruit that you love the flavour but just cannot eat them all, just remove the flesh with or without the seed and place them in the freezer. It can last for months and you can just remove it from the freezer and allow it to defrost before eating them. So, let us enjoy this wondrous fruit during this season 🙂

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Category: Eating Well