Gnetum gnemon L.
국표에 없다.
Gnetum spp is a sub-spontaneous liana in forest fallows. There are about thirty species of Gnetum in the tropics. In Africa, particularly in Cameroon, there are two species: Gnetum africanum and Gnetum bucholzianum. Consumers and traders do not distinguish these two species easily. Like other NTFPs, Gnetum spp has food, medicinal and cultural values. Production area The Center province, particularly the Lékié division is the ‘storehouse’ of Gnetum spp in Cameroon. This area alone supplies local and external markets. The South-west is also a production area. However, the quantity is less and non-sustainable exploitation makes the product less available in this area. Small quantities are collected in the East, South, and Littoral provinces. Harvesting technique Gnetum spp leaves are collected in four ways: Only the leaves on the liana are gathered. Because of greed or ignorance, all leaves are harvested leaving the stem naked. New leaves sprout quickly, thus allowing the normal course of the photosynthetic activity, necessary for the survival of the plant; The upper part of the plant is cut making sure no leaf is forgotten and thus, in good conditions the cut part grows again; The plant is uprooted after which the leaves are removed This type of harvesting does not permit the plant to grow again; The tree on which the liana grows is felled.
Gnetum spp (okok or eru) (cifor-icraf.org)
Gnetum gnemon is a gymnosperm species of Gnetum, its native area spans from Mizoram and Assam in India down south through Malay Peninsula, Malay Archipelago and the Philippines in southeast Asia to the western Pacific islands. Common names include gnetum, joint fir, two leaf, melinjo/belinjo (Indonesian), bago/lumbay (Filipino), and tulip (Tok Pisin).
Description
This species can be easily confused for an angiosperm due to the fruit-like female strobili, broad leaves and male strobili looking like flowers due to convergent evolution.
Tree
It is a small to medium-size tree (unlike most other Gnetum species, which are lianas), growing to 15–22 metres tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 40 cm (16 in). In addition to the tree form, there are also varieties that includes shrub forms (brunonianum, griffithii, and tenerum). The leaves are evergreen, opposite, 8–20 cm long and 3–10 cm broad, entire, emerging bronze-coloured, maturing glossy dark green.
The tree does not flower but still grow male and female sporing organs from single long stems 3–6 centimetres long. Male strobili are small and arranged in long stalks which are often mistaken for flowers, melinjo fruit instead are produced from fertilizing the female strobili.
Fruit
The oval fruit (technically a strobilus) measures 1–3.5 cm long, it consists of a thin velvety integument and a large nut-like endosperm 2–4 cm long inside. Fleshy strobili weigh about 5.5 g, the endosperm alone 3.8 g. It changes colour from yellow to orange, purple or pink when ripe. Melinjo season in Indonesia comes three times in March to April, June to July, and September to October, but the fruiting season in northeast of Philippines mainly from June to September.
Uses
Culinary
Gnetum nuts are eaten boiled, roasted, or raw in most parts of Southeast Asia and Melanesia. The young leaves, flowers, and the outer flesh of the fruits are also edible when cooked and are eaten in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji. They have a slightly sour taste and are commonly eaten in soups and stews.
Gnetum is most widely used in Indonesian cuisine where it is known as melinjo or belinjo. The seeds are used for sayur asem (sour vegetable soup) and also, made into raw chips that later need to be deep-fried as crackers (emping, a type of krupuk). The crackers have a slightly bitter taste and are frequently served as a snack or accompaniment to Indonesian dishes.
This plant is commonly cultivated throughout the Aceh region and is regarded as a vegetable of high status. Its male strobili, young leaves and female strobilus are used as ingredients in traditional vegetable curry called kuah pliek. This dish is served on all important traditional occasions, such as khanduri and keureudja. In the Pidie district, the women pick the red-skinned ripe fruit and make keureupuk muling from it.
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