At a glance, the striking red and unique, long-bulky size will directly catch our attention. After that, you will realize that it is one of the famous fruit found ubiquitously at the local markets in many regions of Papua and West Papua. The name of the fruit is red fruit (buah merah). Consumed by the native people for generations due to its usefulness, it is one of the famous traditional fruit of Papua Island.
The Red Fruit
Red fruit – Pandanus conoideus – belongs to the family of Pandanus. This cultivar is from the New Guinea land and mostly grown and consumed in Papua Island of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
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Name Diversity
Kuansu is what Wamena natives name it in the Papua Province. Indonesian people generally call it “buah merah”, which has a literal meaning of red fruit. In the local language of Papua New Guinea, it is marita.
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The Tree
As its scientific Latin name implies, Pandanus Conoideus, this endemic fruit has a characteristic of a pandan-like tree, just like other trees in the Pandanus genus. However, red fruit plants can grow up to 16 meters in height. Each branch trunk can reach as high as 5 to 8 meters, firmly supported by the stilt roots on the lower stem.
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The Fruit
This unique fruit has an oblong shape, sitting in the middle of its leaves. Each fruit can elongate up to 55 cm with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm. The average weight for this fruit is 2 to 3 kilograms. The young fruits usually show yellowish-brown or brown shades, while the ripe ones have a heavily red concentration of brightly maroon.
The Four Variants of Red Fruit
Of 30 Pandanus conoideus cultivars, there are four variants of red fruit that offer higher economic values, especially in West Papua.
- Merah panjang (long red). The fruit has a cylindrical shape with a blunt edge. It is about 100-cm long with a diameter of 18 cm. Each fruit weighs around 7.5 kg. People use this variant as medicine.
- Merah pandek (short red)
- Cokelot (brown)
- Kummiming (yellow).
The Cultivar Spreading
Red fruit is one of the endemic plants in Papua and its neighbor Papua New Guinea. This fruit distribution in Papua and West Papua stretches nearly evenly from the lowlands to the highlands (up to 2300 above sea level). The spread expands from the bird-head regions and other remotes areas in Papua (Arfak, Jayapura, Bintang Mountains) to the Baliem Valley in Wamena.
Nutritional Values
The highly concentrated red color becomes one of the most prominent characteristics of this fruit. The red concentration indicates that the fruit has a rich beta-carotene content, alongside carotene and tocopherol. An examination of nutritional composition content even states that this fruit juice adequately contains antioxidants.
The following are some useful functions of the beta-carotene:
- Slowing down arterial spot buildups thus the blood can flow to the heart and brain without any obstacles
- Its interactions with proteins can increase the production of antibodies.
- As an anti-cancer agent, it increases the number of natural cells that will suppress the presence of cancer cells.
- Prevent blindness (Xerophthalmia).
- Prevent problems with goiter disease (gondok).
Red fruit also contains other constituents good for maintaining or increasing endurance. Some of them are oleic fatty acid (30% of fruit total fat), linoleic acid, omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. All of them are active compositions that act as an antidote to the free radical formation in our body. Iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn) dietary minerals are also present in this fruit.
Traditional Applications
The oldest practice of consuming red fruit by the indigenous people in Papua is preparing it as a traditional delicacy. They will split the fruit, wrap it in leaves, and cook it in an earth oven.
In Wamena, the natives use this kuansu as serving food for the traditional festivities of stone-burning. They also consume it as medication even since ancient times. They believe, for generations, that the fruit is good for health. They have used, and still use, it to prevent and treat different kinds of diseases, such as curing eye disease, worm-related diseases, skin problems, and improving stamina.
Another traditional application of kuansu is the prospective source of vegetable oil (carotenoid oil). This fruit contains a pretty high-fat content (35% per dry weight). It also has fatty acid content similar to other widely available commercial frying oil (coconut and palm oil).
The oil production still uses the traditional methods, which are varied from one region to another on this island. The natives usually make the oil from the red-colored, jelly-like layers that stick to the fruit seeds. They also use the residue of this oil extraction as a sauce.
They store the oil and sauce in enclosed bottles and place them above their house fireplace. By this method, they will not quickly get rottenly bad. The residents usually mix the sauce with their staple foods of sago and sweet potato to add flavor.
The highlands of the Jayawijaya mountain range is known as the center for producing this fruit oil (and sauce). Now we know that red fruit is not only attractive from the outside but highly beneficial on the inside. What good news and goodness from the traditional fruit of Papua and West Papua.
