 |
| BATS
AND PETAI |
Petai is a bat-pollinated bean tree(1)that does not have world-wide recognition but it is a very important tree where it grows.
Short-nosed bat (Cynopterus spp.)
Petai flower pollinator
WHICH IS WHERE?
Southeast Asia, Malaysia. It grows wild in the forests and where it has been planted near villages. It is not commercially planted.(1) There are no petai plantations.
Dawn bat - Petai pollinator
GO ON THEN. WHY IS THE PETAI TREE IMPORTANT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND MALAYSIA?
Because the bean pods and beans are one of the main cash crops in swidden cultivation.(2)
"SWIDDEN" CULTIVATION? PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME.
Native tribes in Malaysia practice swidden or slash and burn cultivation. They do not own the land but they inherit the right to farm certain lands. There are no clear boundaries. The native people do not acquire land by warfare or violence.(2)
The land is cultivated for one or two years, then lies fallow for 12 years.(2)
Many, many crops are cultivated on the large swidden fields. Those crops include: rice, maize, millet, bananas, manioc, taro, sugar cane, marrows, yam, sweet potato, cucumber, pulses, gourds, chili peppers, pineapple, garlic, aubergine, seed potatoes, ginger, tobacco, betel.(2)
Trees grow on swidden land as well; papaya, durian, cashew, jacktree, breadfruit, coconut and petai. (2)
Swidden field and wild forest products enter into trade and bring money to the native people, All of those products, the main cash crops are petai and durian. (2)
INTRODUCE ME TO A PETAI TREE, PLEASE.
The petai tree can grow to about 90 feet (30 metres).(3) It bears flowers in a light-bulb shaped mass at the end of long stalks.(1) The flowers secrete a nectar that attract bats and other pollinators.
The tiny flowers mature and die. Long, twisted, translucent pods emerge in a cluster of 7 or 8 pods. When those pods are mature, within them will reside the petai beans or seeds.
Petai beans or seeds look like broad beans. Like mature broad beans, they may have to be peeled before cooking. There the resemblance ends. They are not bland. They have a distinctive strong taste, and are said to be best in curries and mixed Indonesian dishes. The beans also have an unusual odour and are sometimes called stink beans. Young tender pods with undeveloped beans can be used whole in stir fried dishes.
I'M IMAGINING A TREE THAT IS 90 FEET TALL WITH CLUSTERS OF PETAI PODS SWINGING AT THE END OF LONG STALKS. HOW ARE THOSE PODS HARVESTED?
With difficulty and peril, I would suppose. Peter Tan (3) says that the harvesters climb the trees and sometimes there are serious accidents. Perhaps petai pods can be harvested like coconuts, with knives attached to the ends of long bamboo poles.
HOW CAN I SAMPLE A PETAI BEAN DISH?
You might find canned petai beans at an Oriental store or market. The can could be labelled "Peteh Asin". With a can of petai beans in hand, you can make this omelette.(4)
