Introduction to Jengkol

Jengkol: Sharp-Smelling But Loved by Many

Jengkol is a pungent-smelling food that is widely consumed in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Jengkol is a legume plant (from the Fabaceae family) that produces a fruit with a distinctive and strong aroma that is referred to as “bau jengkol”. Despite its unpleasant odor, jengkol is widely loved for its unique taste and soft texture. Besides being consumed raw, jengkol is usually processed into various traditional dishes, such as jengkol stew, jengkol rendang, jengkol balado, or fried jengkol.

jengkol

How to Plant Jengkol

From Grafting to Daily Harvested Jengkol

Prepare Seedlings Through Grafting

Prepare the rootstock from seedlings or from jengkol seeds that grow wild. Put the jengkol seedlings into a large polybag. Look for a bud from one of the fruiting jengkol trees.

Make Planting Holes

Make a planting hole with a size of 40 cm x 40 cm with a depth of 40 cm. The planting hole is filled with manure up to 2/3 of it and then the planting hole is left for 1 month to allow the manure to soak in and add nutrients to the soil. If planting jengkol in large quantities, the planting distance must be set at 5-6 meters from the previous hole.

Planting Jengkol Seedlings

Open the seedling polybag by gently tearing it, then insert the seedlings into the prepared planting holes. Cover the hole again using the remaining soil, then compact it. Do the same until all the holes are planted.

Caring for the Jengkol Tree

Weeding: Ensure that grass or weeds do not grow and cover the plant, thus inhibiting growth. Fertilization: Re-fertilization is done after the plant is 6 months old with a mixture of manure, urea, TSP, and KCL in a ratio of 2:1:1:1.

Unlimited Jengkol Harvest

Choose a harvest time when the jengkol fruit is ripe, which is dark brown or blackish in color. Jengkol harvesting in Indonesia is usually done around 6-7 months after flowering, during the dry season between June and September.

Binomial Name

Pithecellobium lobatum Benth

Scientific Classification

Kingdom

Plantae

Subkingdom

Tracheobionta

Divisi

Magnoliophyta

Kelas

Magnoliopsida

Ordo

Fabales

Famili

Mimosaceae

Genus

Pithecellobium

Spesies

Pithecellobium lobatum Benth

Origin of Jengkol

From the Tropical Forest to the Table

Basically, jengkol is a fruit that comes from a tree with the Latin name Pithecellobium jiringa that lives in tropical forests. Jengkol grows in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos. Initially, jengkol trees grew wild in the forest, then were cultivated in plantations for consumption.

Jengkol Production Centers in Indonesia

Central Java

West Sumatra

West Java

Lampung

Banten

Sparkle
Petir

Fun Facts

Thomas Stamford Raffles mentioned jengkol in his book The History of Java as a food commonly consumed by the people of Java. In some areas, jengkol is also known as jering or joriang.

Nutrient Content of Clove

Per (100 gram)
Energy

154 kkal

Fat

0,3 gr

Carbohydrate

40,7 gr

Fiber

1,5 gr

Calcium

4 mg

Phosphor

150 mg

Sodium

60 mg

Copper

0,3 mg

Zinc

0,6 mg

Potassium

241 mg

Iron

0,7 mg

Vitamin B1

0,05 gr

Vitamin B2

0,2 mg

Vitamin B3

0,5 mg

Vitamin C

31 mg

Protein

5,4 mg

Key Health Benefits

Maintain digestive health

The high fiber content in jengkol is beneficial for digestion.

Controls blood sugar

The high fiber and protein content in jengkol plays a role in slowing down the absorption of glucose in the body, so that sugar levels can be controlled.

Maintains body weight

Apart from improving the digestive system, the high fiber content in jengkol can also help you lose weight.

Maintains bone health

Jengkol is a source of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus that play a role in maintaining bone density and preventing osteoporosis.

Prevents anemia

Jengkol has a high iron content that can help prevent anemia due to iron deficiency.

Increases body resistance

Jengkol contains vitamin C which acts as an antioxidant to help improve the immune system.

Jengkol Varieties

Jengkol Varieties You Should Know

Kuali Valley Variety

This is the flagship jengkol of Aceh Jaya Regency with production reaching 456-574 kg/tree/year and has a savory meat flavor.

Abyan variety

This variety produces 350 - 440 kg of jengkol per tree per year. This jengkol is resistant to long-distance transportation, so it is widely marketed outside the region.

Bareh variety

This jengkol is the flagship of Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra. This variety has a round-shaped fruit, very fluffy texture, with a less pungent aroma.

Lokan variety

The flagship of Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra, Jengkol has little potential to cause stomach pain.

Sparkle
Petir

You Should Know

Jengkol Bareh and Lokan have been named the most delicious jengkol.

Economic and Market Potential of Jengkol

Jengkol: An Export Commodity with Great Potential

Jengkol is a promising commodity for export. In 2020, Indonesia’s jengkol export value reached US$4.7 million. In 2021, West Sumatra successfully exported 100 kg of jengkol to Japan, while West Java sent 50 kg of jengkol to Dubai through the One Pesantren One Product (OPOP) program.

For farmers who have a 1-hectare jengkol plantation, they can earn up to IDR 50 million to IDR 200 million per year.

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