Parkia speciosa

Parkia speciosa, the bitter bean, twisted cluster bean, sator bean, stink bean, or petai is a plant of the genus Parkia in the family Fabaceae. It bears long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, similar to, but stronger than that of the shiitake mushroom, due to sulfur-containing compounds also found in shiitake, truffles and cabbage.

Description

A tree. It can grow 35-45 m high. It can spread 8-15 m wide. The trunk can be 1 m across. It can have buttresses. The leaves occur alternately along the stalk. The leaf and leaf stalk can be 21-40 cm long. There is a single gland on the leaf stalk about half way between the base and the first pair of leaflets. It is about 1-3 cm from the base. There are also small circular lands near the last leaflets. There are 11-20 or 25 pairs of leaflets. These are 5-10 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The edges of nearby leaflets overlap. The tip of the leaflet is rounded and the base is expanded around the stem on one side. The flower stalks are 7-57 cm long and hang down on the tree. On the end of these are 4-10 flowers crowded together and then pods develop. Flowers contain both sexes. The pods are strap shaped and usually twisted. The pods are swollen over the seeds and constricted between the seeds. The pods are 20-40 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. There are about 18 seeds per pod. They lie across the width of the pod. They are up to 23 mm long. They have a strong smell. The seed coat is soft and green.

Edible Uses

The beans of other Parkia species (for example, Parkia javanica and Parkia singularis) are also popular as culinary ingredient in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, southern Thailand, Burma, and northeastern India, especially Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura (consumed mostly by the Tiprasa people). They are sold in bunches, still in the pod, or the seeds are sold in plastic bags. Pods are gathered from the wild, or from cultivated trees: they are exported in jars or cans, pickled in brine, or frozen. The vegetable is known as petai, pete in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In the marketplace, depending on the country of origin, Parkia species may be labelled Wakerec, Petai, in Assamese Gachhua uri, in Rongmei Kamv, in Meitei Yongchak, in Thadou Jongla,. They are best when combined with other strongly flavoured foods such as garlic, chili peppers, dried shrimp or shrimp paste, as in sambal petai. When young, the pods are flat because the seeds have not yet developed, and they hang like a bunch of slightly twisted ribbons, pale green, almost translucent. At this stage they may be eaten raw, fried or pickled. Young tender pods with undeveloped beans can be used whole in stir-fried dishes. The seeds are also dried and seasoned for later consumption. When dried, the seeds turn black. Petai beans or seeds look like broad beans. Like mature broad beans, they may have to be peeled before cooking. Petai has earned its nickname 'stink bean' because its strong smell is very pervasive. It lingers in the mouth and body. Like asparagus, it contains certain amino acids that give a strong smell to one's urine, an effect that can be noticed up to two days after consumption. Like other beans, their complex carbohydrates can also cause strong-smelling rectal gas.

Traditional Uses

The seeds are used as flavouring stews. Dried seeds are peeled and fried in oil. Young pods are eaten cooked as a vegetable. They are eaten with poultry, fish or stir-fried vegetable dishes. Young seeds can be eaten pickled, raw or cooked. They are roasted, boiled or added to soups. Young leaves are also eaten raw. They are packed in brine. The receptacle around the flowers is cut into slices and eaten raw.

Medicinal Uses

The seeds are known to be hypoglycaemic and are used traditionally for treating kidney pain, cancer, diabetes, hepatalgia, oedema, nephritis, colic, cholera and as an anthelmintic. The seeds are also valued as a carminative. The seeds are applied externally to wounds and ulcers. The inner red bark is applied as a dressing on burns, followed several hours later by an infusion of the pounded white wood, which is used to wash the skin.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is native to SE Asia. They grow in lowland rainforest. It suits a humid climate. They are mostly between sea level and 900 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Pacific, Philippines, Sarawak, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand, USA,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seeds.

Propagation

Seed - needs to be sown as soon as possible because it has a short viability. Fresh, soft seeds can be sown immediately, pre-soak any with harder skins for 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing. The seed is often sown in situ, with about 90% germinating within 3 - 15 days. Cuttings of ripe wood Budding

Other Uses

The wood is used for pulp in the manufacture of paper. Wood is non-durable with a service life of about 1 year, but preservative treatment is easy. It has an unpleasant garlic or beanlike odour when fresh. Shrinkage upon seasoning is low. The wood is used locally for temporary light construction, carpentry, furniture and cabinet making, mouldings, interior finish, cladding, concrete shuttering, boxes and crates, matches, clogs, disposable chopsticks and fishnet floats. General utility plywood has been manufactured from the wood. The tree is sometimes planted to provide shade tree for coffee plantations, nurseries etc.

Production

Trees first flower when about 15 m high.

Other Information

Popular and common in Indonesia and Malaysia as a cultivated tree and market food.

Notes

Also as Mimosaceae. The seeds are high in folates. Fruit are high in folates 100μg/100.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Betar, Chou dou, Cong dou, Nejire-fusamame, Nitta tree, Nyiring, Patag, Patai, Petah, Petai, Pete, Peteh, Peuteuy, Pohon petai, Sataw, Sato, Sator dan, Sator kow, Sindutan, U'pang

References (52)

• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 1649
• Argent, G et al, nd, Manual of the Larger and More important non Dipterocarp Trees of Central Kalimantan Indonesia. Volume 2 Forest Research Institute, Samarinda, Indonesia. p 365
• Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 50, 107, 129
• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 310
• Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 2 (I-Z) p 1700

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