Pangi or Keluak
Pangium edule
Pangi Family
Description: The Pangi tree, also known as Keluak, Keluwak, or Keypayang, is a tall tree often reaching heights of 18 meters (54 feet). The tree has large, glossy heart-shaped leaves in spirals each typically with three lobes. Its large flowers grow in spikes, each with 5-6 petals, and are green in color. Its large, brownish, roughly textured, pear-shaped or football-shaped fruits (known as “football fruit”) grow in clusters and are about the size of a coconut. They contain numerous large, egg-shaped, or three-cornered seeds embedded in the fruit’s pulp.
All parts are poisonous, especially the fruit and seeds which contain toxic levels of hydrogen cyanide. They can only be made edible via fermentation.
Habitat and Distribution: Pangi trees grow in southeast Asia and prefer tropical, wet environments.
