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Melinjo | Phak Liang

Phak liang | ผักเหลียง | Gnetum gnemon

Family: Gnetaceae - Genus: Gnetum

Phak Lian can be found in the food forest of TCDF and Eco-Logic on the top of our 'mountain' and in the area of the Special School of the Foundation.

 

Phak Liang is an evergreen small tree or shrub, growing to 3 meter tall, although it is usually cut short to make harvesting the leaves easier.

Melinjo is widely used in the Thai cuisine. The leaves are also commonly used for vegetable dishes.

Regular harvesting of the shoots controls the size and shape of the bushes. Leaves can be harvested the whole year through.


 

The papaya is a small, sparsely branched tree, usually with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 meter tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is usually scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. All parts of the plant contain latex.
TREE/SHRUB

THE TREE/SHRUB

Evergreen small tree or shrub, stem erect, up to 3 meter tall, much- branched down to the base, branches thickened at base.


The tree occurs wild in rain forests at low elevations up to 1,200 meter, they prefer high soil humidity and light shade.



 

The leaves of the papaya are large, 50-70 cm in diameter, with seven lobes.
Leaf

THE LEAVES

The leaves are evergreen, opposite, 8–20 centimeter long and 3–10 centimeter broad, entire, emerging bronze-colored, maturing glossy dark green.

The leaves are edible and used widely in Thai cuisine.




 


The flowers are five-parted; the male flowers have the stamens fused to the petals. The female flowers have a superior ovary and five contorted petals loosely connected at the base. The flowers are sweet-scented, open at night, and wind- or insect-pollinated.
FLOWER

THE FLOWERS

Flowers in whorls at the nodes.

Female flowers, 5-8 at each node, oblong and beaked.







 
The flowers are five-parted; the male flowers have the stamens fused to the petals. The female flowers have a superior ovary and five contorted petals loosely connected at the base. The flowers are sweet-scented, open at night, and wind- or insect-pollinated.
RIPE FRUIT
MALE FRUIT PHAKLIANG
MALE FRUIT

THE FRUIT

The fruit-like female strobilus consist of little but skin and a large nut-like seed 2–4 centimeter long inside.

Male strobili are small, arranged in long stalks, and are often mistaken for flowers. The red (ripe) strobili are eaten by birds, mammals and reptiles

 

CULINARY USES

The young leaves are cooked in vegetable soup, fried with egg.

It is an important leafy vegetable in southern Thailand.


It can be used as a salad (young leaves), or stir fried with egg. At our Food Forest Kitchen Restaurant we use Phak Liang as a vegetable for our veggie tarts. Click on the link of the restaurant for the recipe.


 

NUTRITION

In 100 g of young leaves they contain water 75.1 g, protein 6.6 g, fat 1.2g, carbohydrates 9.1 g, fiber 6.8 g, ash 1.3 g, phosphorus 224 mg, calcium 151 mg, iron 2.5 mg and vitamin A 10889 IU.

 

TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE OF NEEDLE FLOWER


NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.


In traditional medicine, the sap of leaf is used to cure eye ailments in traditional medicine. The Melinjo seeds are used to increase stamina. During early days, this plant is mixed with other ingredients to treat the dog bites. The plants help to treat the diseases such as anemia.

 

INTO THE WILD: a down to earth experience

For guests and visitors to Paksong we organize weekly tours "The Edible Forest" and Foraging weekends: Into the Wild. We work with local guides to take you in the jungle of Paksong. After foraging, we will cook a meal with the ingredients, using bamboo together with you!


Come and join and learn about the abundance of food that nature gives us!


INTO THE WILD!

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