A must to add to your daily diet - Petai scientific name Parkia speciosa

Petai, scientific name Parkia speciosa (bitter bean, twisted cluster bean, or stink bean) 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, characterised by some as being similar to natural gas.

      

It is known as petai, pete or peteh in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. In marketplace, depending on the country of origin Parkia species may be labelled peteh, petai, yongchaa, yongchaak,Zawngṭah (pronounced Zongtrah). 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.

In Malaysia, petai also commonly served with sambal, or mixed with dried shrimp, chili peppers, red onions, belacan (shrimp paste), soy sauce and minced meat.

              

Sambal Petai Ikan Bilis (dried Anchovies)     Sambal Petai Udang (Prawns)

In Indonesia, petai is very popular in the highlands of Java and Sumatra, especially among Sundanese, Minangkabau and many other people in different cultures of the island. In Sundanese cuisine petai might be eaten raw with sambal as part of lalab, fried or grilled. It also can be stir fried and mixed with oncom. In Java and Sumatra, it also might be added to sayur lodeh or sambal goreng ati petai (fried diced cow or chicken liver in sambal and petai). Nasi goreng kambing petai is popular variant of nasi goreng with goat meat and petai. In Minangkabau cuisine it usually become part of lado (Minang sambal) for ayam pop (Padang style fried chicken).

In Thailand it is called sato(Thai: สะตอ), usually added to a Thai curry such as Thai Duck Green Curry, or as mu phat sato, stink bean with stir fried pork.

In Manipur, the seeds or the bean as a whole are eaten by preparing a local delicacy called Iromba or Yongchak singju. Iromba is a very common cuisine in Manipur made with boiled potato, fermented fish, chilly and a vegetable, in this case, Parkia. Yongchak singju is another favourite side dish made with Parkia cut into small pieces and then mixed with red hot chilly paste. InMizoram, the Mizo people are also very fond of it, and call it Zawngṭah and they use to prepare it with chilli and a fermented pork called Saum. The Paite tribe of northeastern parts of India call itZawngṭah (pronounced Zongtah) and mainly prepare it with chilly peppers and a special fermented pork called "Sathu" and called it Zawngṭah-hou. In Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh theBishnupriya Manipuris call it Longchaak and consume the boiled or roasted seeds either alone or in a mash of boiled vegetables laced with fermented fish.

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 acidsthat 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 flatulence.

The petai tree can grow to about 90 feet (30 metres). It bears flowers in a light-bulb shaped mass at the end of long stalks. The flowers secrete a nectar that attracts bats and other pollinators. The tiny flowers mature and die. Long, twisted, translucent pods emerge in a cluster of 7 or 8 pods. When those pods are mature, within them will reside the petai beans or seeds.

  

A must to add to your daily diet

Petai does contain many nutrients. It contains three natural sugars…sucrose, fructose and glucose and it contains fiber as well which gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90 minutes workout. Besides this, it helps overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, so…if you do care about your health and nutrition always, this is a must to add to your daily diet.

Health benefits

So, here it goes the benefits when it is added to your daily diet…

1. Anemia – contains high iron, it stimulates the production of hemoglobin (red blood cells) in the blood, thus helps those in cases of anemia.
2. Antioxidant – it can counter the damaging effects of free radicals which are reactive and unstable.
3. Blood pressure – contains high potassium but low in salt, and because of this, it is so perfect to beat the blood pressure, thus, it bears the ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. According to research in ‘The New England Journal of Medicine’, eating petai can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40 %, that’s pretty much huh, right?!
4. Brain power – as already mentioned above, this potassium rich bean can assist learning by making people more alert and refreshed. Think about this, those monkeys…I mean...those active, alerts, smart and cunning ever monkeys…I know, they don’t eat stink bean, but they just love the fruit which is potassium rich, yes, that’s right, bananas…so, you get what I mean?
5. Constipation – because of the high fiber, it helps restore normal bowel action and helps overcoming the problem…
6. Diabetes – it is a diet option for the diabetes for its ability to lower blood sugar level.
7. Depression – For those who suffering from depression, try this! Many felt much better after eating this so called stink bean. This is because it contains tryptophan, a type of protein which the body converts into serotonin that make you relax, improve your mood and make you feel happier.
8. Hangovers – make yourself a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey…the petai itself can calm the stomach and the honey can build up depleted blood sugar levels while the milk soothe and rehydrate your system.
9. Heartburn – if you suffer from heartburn, well, try eating petai for soothing relief as it has a natural antacid effect in the body.
10. Morning sickness – it does help to keep blood sugar levels up, so snacking on it between meals helps avoiding morning sickness.
11. Mosquitoes bite – you might find it amazingly that by rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin, it can successfully reduce any swelling and irritation…
12. Nerves – for its high in B vitamins it helps to calm our nervous systems as well.
13. Overweight – Hey, isn’t this good news huh?! Yes, many of us tend to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps because of the avoidable pressure at work or whatsoever, so, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, snacking on high carbohydrate foods like petai every two hours helps to keep our blood sugar levels steady.
14. Smoking – believe it or not? Petai can also help those who trying to quit smoking. As I have mentioned above, besides containing potassium and magnesium, the vitamin B6 and B12 that found in petai help our body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
15. Stress – We all know that Potassium is a vital mineral which not only helps normalize our heartbeat and sends oxygen to our brain but regulates our body’s water balance as well. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate tends to rise and thereby reducing our Potassium levels. All these can be rebalanced with the help of this high-potassium petai snack.
16. Temperature control – Curious of what this is right? It is believed by many other cultures and they see it as a “cooling” fruit which can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. They eat to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature…
17. Ulcers – because of its soft texture and smoothness, petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders. It neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
18. Wart – for some of those who may not really know what wart is, let me brief a bit here just in case…well, it’s a small, hard, benign growth on the skin which caused by a virus. Take a piece of petai and place it on the affected area, carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape.

Nutrition in Petai

Amazing for the benefits it offers which not only provide energy but also prevent and overcome several illness and conditions? I bet you do, yet the most unbelievable part you may yet to know is that when compared to apples, petai has four times the protein, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and carbohydrates over twice as much, twice as many vitamins and other minerals…

Though it is a fact that it bears a stink smell, yet it is undeniable a delicious dish especially when combined with other strongly flavored foods such as garlic, chili peppers, and dried shrimp (or prawns) which it is named “sambal petai”, a popular culinary delight.