View source for Arenga pinnata

{{Short description|Species of palm}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Aren_pinna 070612 042 stgd.jpg
|genus = Arenga
|species = pinnata
|authority = ([[Friedrich von Wurmb|Wurmb]]) [[Elmer Drew Merrill|Merr.]]
}}

'''''Arenga pinnata''''' (syn. ''Arenga saccharifera'') is an economically important [[Arecaceae|feather palm]] native to tropical [[Asia]], from eastern [[India]] east to [[Malaysia]], [[Indonesia]], and the [[Philippines]] in the east.<ref name=uhl>{{cite book | last1=Uhl | first1=Natalie W. | author1-link=Natalie Uhl | last2=Dransfield | first2=John | author2-link=John Dransfield | title=[[Genera Palmarum]] – A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore, Jr. | date=1987 | publication-place=[[Lawrence, Kansas]], USA | publisher=[[Allen Press]] | isbn=978-0-935868-30-2 | oclc=15641317}}</ref> Common names include '''[[sugar palm]]''', '''areng palm''' (also '''aren palm''' or '''arengga palm'''), '''black sugar palm''', and '''kaong palm''', among other names.<ref name="pmp">{{cite web |title=Kaong ''Arenga pinnata'' (Wurmb) Merr. |url=http://www.stuartxchange.com/Kaong.html |website=Philippine Medicinal Plants |access-date=23 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="Florido">{{cite journal |last1=Florido |first1=Helen B. |last2=de Mes |first2=Priscilla B. |title=Sugar palm [''Arenga pinnata'' (Wurbm.) Merr.] |journal=Research Information Series on Ecosystems |date=2003 |volume=15 |issue=2 |url=http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/r_v15n2.pdf|pages=1–7}}</ref>

[[File:Arenga pinnata Blanco2.419.jpg|thumb|19th-century illustration from ''[[Flora de Filipinas]]'' by [[Francisco Manuel Blanco]]]]

==Description==
It is a medium-sized palm, growing to {{convert|20|m|0|abbr=off}} tall, with the trunk remaining covered by the rough old [[leaf]] bases. The leaves are {{convert|6–12|m|0|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}} broad, pinnate, with the pinnae in 1–6 rows, {{convert|40–70|cm|0|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|5|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} broad. The [[fruit]] is subglobose, {{convert|7|cm|frac=2|abbr=on}} diameter, green maturing black.<ref name="riffle">{{cite book |last1=Riffle |first1=Robert L. |title=An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms |last2=Craft |first2=Paul |date=2003 |publisher=[[Timber Press]] |isbn=0-88192-558-6 |publication-place=[[Portland, Oregon]], USA |oclc=49760622}}</ref>

==Ecology==
''A. pinnata'' suffers from the red palm weevil, ''[[Rhynchophorus ferrugineus]]'',<ref name="Peng-Hou-2017">{{cite book |last1=Peng |first1=Lu |title=Biological invasions and its management in China |last2=Hou |first2=Youming |publisher=[[Springer Netherlands|Springer]] |year=2017 |isbn=978-94-024-0946-8 |editor-last1=Wan |editor-first1=Fanghao |publication-place=[[Dordrecht]], Netherlands |pages=245–256/xiv+366 |chapter=13. Red Palm Weevil ''Rhynchophorus ferrugineus'' (Olivier) |doi=10.1007/978-94-024-0948-2_13 |oclc=984692367 |editor-last2=Jiang |editor-first2=Mingxing |editor-last3=Zhan |editor-first3=Aibin |s2cid=91164620}} {{ISBN|978-94-024-0948-2}}. Page 247.</ref> and is one of its major [[host (organism)|host]]s in [[China]].<ref name="Peng-Hou-2017" />

It is not a [[threatened species]], though it is locally rare in some parts of its range. It serves as an important part of the diet of several endangered species, including [[cloud rat]]s of the genus ''[[Phloeomys]]''.

==Uses==
Many products of the palm are used, as food, as construction materials, and for other purposes.

===Sap===
The [[sap]] is harvested for commercial use in southeast Asia, yielding a sugar known as ''gur'' in India, ''gula aren'' in Indonesia, and {{lang|fil|pakaskas}} in the Philippines. The sap is collected and made as ''[[lahang]]'', a traditional cold sweet drink, and is also [[Fermentation (food)|fermented]] into [[vinegar]] (Filipino ''[[sukang kaong]]''), [[palm wine]] (Filipino ''[[tubâ]]'', Malaysian and Indonesian ''[[tuak]]'', in eastern Indonesia ''[[:id:sageru|sageru]]''), which in turn is distilled into a spirit (''[[:id:sopi|sopi]]'' in Maluku, ''[[:id:cap tikus|cap tikus]]'' in North Sulawesi).<ref name="Florido"/><ref name="pv">{{cite web |title=List of Philippine vinegars |url=http://glossaryoffilipinofood.blogspot.com/2014/03/philippine-vinegars.html |website=Glossary of Filipino Food ...and essays on the world's "original fusion cuisine" too |access-date=23 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="polistico">{{cite book|author =Edgie Polistico|title =Philippine Food, Cooking, & Dining Dictionary|publisher =Anvil Publishing, Incorporated|year =2017|isbn =9786214200870|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=iz8_DwAAQBAJ&q=Arroz+caldo}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="Urlanda">{{cite news |last1=Urlanda |first1=Randy V. |title=Kaong: Cavite's Sweet Secret |url=https://agriculture.com.ph/2018/05/31/kaong-cavites-sweet-secret/ |newspaper=Agriculture Monthly |date=31 May 2018 |access-date=12 April 2024}}</ref>

[[Edmund Roberts (diplomat)|Edmund Roberts]] talks about drinking an [[alcoholic drink|alcoholic beverage]] made in the [[Cavite]] area. He described it as a "fermented" and "intoxicating liquor". He said that it was "the pith furnished with sugar – when the liquor was properly boiled down, a [[Farina (food)|farina]]...and of the inside of its triangular-shaped fruit a sweet bread was made."<ref name=Roberts1>{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=Edmund|title=Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat|year=1837|publisher=Harper & Brothers|location=New York|page=59|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/7317/view/1/59/}}</ref>

Sugar ([[jaggery]]) is also commonly derived from the fresh sap in Indonesia and the Philippines. These are traditionally prevented from fermenting by placing crushed chili or ginger in the collecting container. The sap is boiled until it reduces to a thick syrup which is then dried into a brown sugar. Similar sugar extraction methods are also traditionally used for other sugar palms, such as the buri palm (''[[Corypha elata]]'').<ref name="Florido"/>

The raw juice and pulp are caustic. This crop may develop into a major resource of biofuel ([[ethanol]]).{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}

===Fruit===
The immature fruits are widely consumed in the Philippines (called ''kaong'') and Indonesia (called ''buah kolang-kaling'' or ''buah tap'') and are made into canned fruits after they are boiled in sugar syrup.<ref name="Florido"/>

The seeds can be used in many different recipes, such as sour soup, or eaten with [[Pandanus|pandan]] juice, syrup, or [[coconut milk]]. These seeds have a chewy and sweet flavor .Young seeds are soft and easy to chew. When the fruits are overripe, they will have a harder texture.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=ลูกชก ผลไม้โบราณ นานกว่าจะออกลูก |url=https://www.kasetorganic.com/knowledge/sugar-palm/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204181911/https://www.kasetorganic.com/knowledge/sugar-palm/ |archive-date=4 December 2022 |website=Kaset Organic|date=17 January 2022 }}</ref>

The boiled water obtained from boiling  fruits can also be utilized as a [[natural dye]] for fabrics.

=== Fruit stalk ===
The fruit stalk can be cut it into smaller stick used as [[firewood]]. Some people also utilized it as part of furniture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Panthong |first=P. |date=2023 |title=ก้านดอกชก |url=https://onceinlife.co/chok-craft |website=Onceinlife}}</ref>

=== Young shoot ===
In Thailand, some people eat the young shoot with [[Chili sauce and paste|chili sauce]], and use them as cooking ingredients in dishes like soup.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Jivananthaprawat |first=B. |date=2013 |title=ลูกชก..ไม่ใช่ลูกชิด ของดี..เมืองพังงา |url=https://www.thairath.co.th/content/346107 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925084057/http://www.thairath.co.th/content/346107 |archive-date=25 September 2014 |website=Thairath}}</ref>

===Fibres===
The dark fibrous bark (known as ''duk'' or ''doh'' in [[Javanese language|Javanese]],<ref name=seemann>{{cite book | title=Popular history of the palms and their allies, containing a familiar account of their structure, geographical and geological distribution, history, ... |last=Seemann|first=Berthold| publisher=L. Reeve|publication-place=London|year=1856|via=HathiTrust|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark:/13960/t7vm51m8x&seq=91&q1=doh |page=63}} Book also lists names im several uncommon local languages.</ref> and  in India{{which lang|date=September 2020}}; ''iju'', ''ejoo'', ''eju'' or ''gomuti''—a term that botanists applied as a specific or generic name to the whole plant)—in [[Malay language|Malay]];<ref name=seemann/> {{lang|id|ijuk}} in Indonesia; and {{lang|fil|yumot}} or {{lang|fil|cabo negro}} in the Philippines), is manufactured into cordage, brushes, brooms, thatch roofing, or filters.<ref name="Florido"/>

According to the study on bas-reliefs of Javanese ancient temples such as [[Borobudur]], this type of roof is known in ancient Java vernacular architecture. It can be found today in [[Balinese temple]] roof architecture and [[Minangkabau Highlands|Minangkabau]] [[Rumah Gadang]] ''gonjong'' horn-like curved roof architecture, such as those found in [[Pagaruyung Palace]].{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

In Thailand, fibres were once used to create raincoats for miners called ''Jang Sui'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: จั่งซุ้ย).<ref>{{Cite web |title=จั่งซุ้ย : เสื้อกันฝนชาวเหมือง |url=https://www.navanurak.in.th/museum03/site/theme/museshowcatall.php |website=Navanurak}}</ref> The cloth made of this plant has a rough texture, making it unsuitable for most clothing.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jitwarin |first1=T. |last2=Jitwarin |first2=L. |last3=Mekkaeo |first3=B. |last4=Nirattisai |first4=B. |last5=Nantachai |first5=K. |last6=Sriboonjit |first6=P. |last7=Sani |first7=S. |date=2022 |title=THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOVEN FABRIC MIXED WITH SUGAR PALM (ARENGA PINNATA WERR) PEDUNCLE'S FIBER |url=https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/vrurdistjournal/article/view/256646 |journal=VRU Research and Development Journal Science and Technology |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=75–85}}</ref>

===Leaves===
The leaves as well as the leaf midribs can be used to weave baskets and [[marquetry]] work in furniture.<ref name="Florido"/>

===Starch===
In Indonesia, starch can also be extracted from sugar palms and used in place of rice flour in noodles, cakes, and other dishes.<ref name="Florido"/>

=== Trunk ===

The timber is used for high grade construction, posts, beams, <!-- faters{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}, --> flooring, interior finish, wharf bridge building and other uses where strength and durability are important.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The trunks are typically used for making tools and furniture. [[Weevil]]s that live inside the trunk are sometimes collected as food by people harvesting the fruits.

=== Survival food ===
The seeds can be boiled and the stem tips can be eaten as vegetables. The young flower stalks can be bruised to obtain the juice.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/277203364 |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |others=[[United States Department of the Army]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |pages=99 |language=en-US |oclc=277203364}}</ref>

== Harvesting ==
Various methods are employed to climb and harvest the fruits. In some regions in Thailand, locals make use of a [[bamboo]] ladder with natural step-like protrusions which in Thai known as ''Phaong'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: พะอง). Harvesters use a vine to attach this [[bamboo]] ladder to the trunk, providing them with steps to climb up and reach the fruits. Some areas utilize hemp rope and slingshot. However, this method requires at least 2 people to collect the fruits as one of them must be responsible for climbing trees and harvesting the fruits, while the other stays on the ground to pull the climbing rope.

During [[sap]] harvesting period, workers collect the [[sap]] twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. From a single tree, they typically obtain around 15-20 liters of fresh [[sap]] in each harvest. [[Bamboo]] tubes or plastic buckets are utilized to collect the dripping [[sap]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Klomdet |first=S. |date=2022 |title=น้ำตาลชก น้ำตาลเหนา รสหวานลึกกลางเขาหิน |url=https://krua.co/food_story/palm-sugar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327044138/https://krua.co/food_story/palm-sugar/ |archive-date=27 March 2023 |access-date= |website=KRUA.CO}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=การทำน้ำตาลเหนา |url=http://www.m-culture.in.th/album/197236/%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A5%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B2 |website=M-culture}}</ref>

==Culture==
In the Philippines, an annual [[Irok Festival]] is celebrated in the municipality of [[Indang]] in [[Cavite]] which is a major producer of kaong fruits, ''[[sukang kaong]]'', and ''[[tubâ]]'' in the country. ''Irok'' is a local name for ''Arenga pinnata'' in the northwestern Philippines.<ref name="cavite">{{cite web |last1=Urlanda |first1=Randy V. |title=Irok Festival |url=http://cavite.info/article/irok-festival.html |website=Cavite.info |access-date=23 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="FoodRecap">{{cite web |title=The Making of ''Arenga Pinnata'' Vinegar |url=http://www.foodrecap.com/bytes/make-arengga-pinnata-vinegar/ |website=FoodRecap |access-date=23 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223164022/http://www.foodrecap.com/bytes/make-arengga-pinnata-vinegar/ |archive-date=23 December 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The world's first ever crossword puzzle, labelled "Word-Cross" in the 21 December 1913 edition of ''New York World'' newspaper's Sunday ''Fun'' supplement and created by Arthur Wynne, a Liverpool, UK-born journalist, included a clue: ''The fibre of the gomuti plant''.  The answer was ''doh''.<ref name=Donovan>{{cite book | last1=Donovan | first1=Tristan | author1-link=Tristan Donovan | title=It's All A Game — A short history of board games  | date=November 2018 | publication-place=London, UK | publisher=[[Atlantic Books]] (2018) | isbn=978-1-78649-453-5 }} p154.</ref>

In some areas of southern Thailand, such as Ban Khlong Bor Saen and Bang Toei, [[Phang Nga province|Phang Nga]], cultural beliefs associated with Arenga pinnata are prevalent. The trees are intertwined with the locals' lives and serve as a source of income for the villagers over generations. The locals typically call this plant ''Chok'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: ชก) or ''Nao'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: เหนา) .<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Mekkaeo |first1=B. |last2=Jitwarin |first2=T. |date=2023 |title=Ton Nao Lullaby: The Community Way and Belief of Ban Khlong Bor Saen Villagers |url=https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jmpr/article/view/263316 |journal=Journal of MCU Philosophy Review |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=81–86}}</ref> However, it has a nickname "''Ton Luk Kha Mae"'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: ต้นลูกฆ่าแม่) which means a child kills its mother, as the Arenga pinnata in those areas can produce fruits only once in its lifetime and it will perish within 4 -5 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=KOEY |title=ท้าให้ลอง "ลูกชก" ของดีเมืองพังงา |url=https://www.nairobroo.com/eats/look-choke/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603083324/https://www.nairobroo.com/eats/look-choke/ |archive-date=3 June 2023 |website=Nairobroo|date=7 July 2019 }}</ref><ref name=":3" />

A belief revolves around the practice of singing and dancing during the sap tapping process. Locals believe that when the tree is surrounded by music, it yields abundantly and the [[sap]] quality is enhanced. While climbers harvest [[sap]], some ground workers actively engage in singing and dancing.

Moreover, some locals have specific classifications for the female trees dividing them into three types, which are ''Nao saw'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: เหนาสาว), ''Nao Mae Mai'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: เหนาแม่ม่าย), and ''Nao Kae'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: เหนาแก่). The word “Nao” refers to the tree while each subsequent word provides a different meaning that signifies the duration the tree has been tapped for [[sap]].

''Nao Saw'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: เหนาสาว) refers to the trees that have not been used to collect [[sap]] before. The term “''Saw''” ([[Thai language|Thai]]: สาว) means young woman.

''Nao Mae Mai'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: เหนาแม่หม้าย) refers to the trees that have been used to collect sap, with the process repeated around a year. The term “''Mae Mai''” ([[Thai language|Thai]]: แม่หม้าย) means widow.

''Nao Kae'' ([[Thai language|Thai]]: เหนาแก่) refers to the trees that have been used to collect sap continuously for three years or more including very old ones. The term “''Kae''” ([[Thai language|Thai]]: แก่) means old.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

==Gallery==
{{gallery |width=150 |height=110 |align=center
|Fibre d'arenga.jpg|<small>Bark fiber</small>
|Bibit Aren aksasi dalam.jpg|<small>Saplings from [[North Sumatra]]</small>
|Aren pinna 080814 2082 K srna.jpg|<small>Fruits harvested from [[Java, Indonesia|Java]]</small>
|Palmfrüchtchen.jpg|<small>Fruits preserved in syrup from the Philippines are commonly sold internationally as "kaong"</small>
}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926221414/http://www.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=14681&repSynonym_id=181744&name_id=14681&status=true Kew Palms Checklist: ''Arenga pinnata'']
*[http://hear.org/gcw/html/autogend/species/1794.HTM Global Compendium of Weeds: Arenga pinnata]
*[http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Arenga/pinnata.html PACSOA: ''Arenga pinnata'']

{{Taxonbar|from=Q227984}}

[[Category:Arenga|pinnata]]
[[Category:Tropical fruit]]