Keluak Nut

Also known asBuah Keluak · Pangium edule · Kepayang

Name: Keluak nut, also known as buah keluak, kepayang or football fruit (Pangium edule) — the large, black, hard-shelled seed of a tall tree that grows in the mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia. Despite the name, it is not a true nut, and it is dangerous to eat unless it has been properly prepared.

Description

The keluak tree is native to the swamp and mangrove forests of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Malaysia. Its fruits are large and football-shaped, and contain several seeds. The raw seeds contain high levels of hydrogen cyanide, a poison, so they must be processed before they are edible. Traditionally, this involves boiling the seeds, then burying them in ash, banana leaves and earth for several weeks to ferment, after which they turn black and the poison is removed.

Once prepared, the seed's creamy kernel has a rich, earthy, slightly bitter flavour, often compared to dark chocolate, truffle and olive. It is a prized ingredient in Indonesian cooking, in the black beef soup rawon, and in the Peranakan (Straits Chinese) dish ayam buah keluak, popular in Singapore and Malaysia, where the kernel is scooped out, mixed with minced meat and stuffed back into its shell.

Main nutrition value

Properly prepared keluak kernel is rich in fat and provides some protein and minerals, but it is eaten in small amounts as a flavouring, so contributes modestly to the diet.

How best to be consumed

Keluak should only ever be eaten once it has been fully processed, usually bought ready-prepared in jars or packets.

1. Buy properly processed, ready-to-use keluak from a reputable source, rather than preparing raw seeds yourself.
2. Crack the shell and scoop out the soft, dark kernel to use in stews, soups and stuffings.
3. Mix the kernel with minced pork or chicken and stuff it back into the shell, as in ayam buah keluak.
4. Cook in rich, slow-simmered, spiced dishes, where its earthy flavour shines.
5. Discard any seeds that smell off, taste sharply bitter, or have a dry, grey or mouldy kernel.

Overconsumption could cause…

Keluak is a food where preparation matters for safety.

1. Cyanide poisoning from raw or improperly prepared seeds, which can be life-threatening, so raw keluak must never be eaten.
2. Stomach upset or illness from poorly processed or spoiled seeds, which is why any that taste very bitter or smell strange must be thrown away.
3. Weight gain from a lot of the rich kernel, since it is high in fat.
4. Allergic reactions in rare cases.

GroupsSeedsSoutheast Asian

Related foodsBasil SeedsBlack Sesame SeedsCaraway SeedsChia SeedsCumin SeedsFennel Seeds

Wikipedia — Pangium edule, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangium_edule