Get to know the favorite fruit of the Dani tribe which is rich in benefits
The Dani tribe in Papua likes to eat red fruit. Apart from its delicious taste, this fruit is also rich in health benefits.
Red fruit called Latin Pandanaceae conoideus is a type of pandanus endemic to Papua. The fruit, which in Dani is called kuansu, has long been consumed by the Dani people who live in the Baliem Valley, Jayawijaya Regency, Papua. The way of consumption also varies. You can burn it with stones, boil it or steam it.
Red fruit contains high natural antioxidants, as well as various vitamins and substances such as carotene 12,000 ppm, beta carotene 700 ppm, and tocopherol 11,000. In addition, there are several other substances contained in red fruit, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, decanoic acid, omega 3 and omega 9.
Apart from Lembang Baliem, red fruit can be found in the rendang plains to the highlands of Papua to Papua New Guinea. It is estimated that there are more than 30 varieties of this fruit that can be found in Papua, each with a different name for each fruit character and for each region.
 Papuan Red Fruit. Photo: Suroto Day |
For example, the red fruit from Kelila, which grows in the western part of the Baliem Valley, has different local names referring to size, fruit color, leaf color, and taste. However, in general, only four varieties have been developed because of their economic value, namely the long red, short red, brown and yellow cultivars.
At a glance, this red fruit plant looks like a pandanus with a height of up to 16 meters. The trunk height is 5-8 meters high and supported by supporting roots. The fruit is oval-shaped with a bud covered with fruit leaves.
This fruit is thought to have been cultivated in the Baliem Valley around 7,000 years ago. This is based on research by archaeobotany from The Australian National University, Haberle, who examined samples of pandanus pollen from the sediments of the Kelila swamp, West Baliem Valley.
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This article was produced by Hari Suroto from the Papua Archeology Center and modified as necessary by the editorial staff.
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