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Buah Merah (Red Fruit) Origins |
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Pandanus Conoideus, commonly known as Buah Merah or Red Fruit is an indigenous fruit from the highland of Papua New Guinea. It is known as Marita, Tawi, Sauk Ekendi or Kuansu to the aborigines. The distribution of Buah Merah (Red Fruit) is limited to New Guinea and some of the islands to the west (Ceram, Buru and Ternate). Within Papua New Guinea, Buah Merah (Red Fruit) is grown in all mainland provinces, particularly in the highlands and in the Momase region. It is also commonly found in the Eastern Highlands, Morobe, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, East Sepik, Simbu, Madang and Sanduan provinces.
Buah Merah (Red Fruit) is cylindrical in shape, up to a meter long and red in color. It is most commonly found over the altitudinal range of 500m to 1,400m. The pericarp (outer layer) of Buah Merah (Red Fruit) is rich in oil. It is an important dietary item to the locals. The fruit is cut into pieces then boiled, roasted or cooked in a stone oven. The pulp and seeds are removed from the core to produce a thick red sauce that is used to flavour other foods. |
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