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| Sunday, 9 June 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Popularisation of Jak The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) initiators of the Project to extend the cultivation of jakfruit and popularise related products, seek assistance from the public for their project to plant hundred thousand jakfruit saplings islandwide on June 11, 2002. Jakfruit saplings about 2 1/2 to 4 months old are sought from the public. Individuals and organisations interested in granting Jakfruit saplings are requested to write to the Coordinating Secretary, Jakfruit Popularisation Project, C/o Silumina, Lake House, Colombo 10. by Vimukthi Fernando During the last two weeks we brought you instructions on jakfruit processing. This article focuses on an equally practical but a more palatable arena - preparing different kinds of food and beverages. One of the many projects initiated by those who are interested in promoting jakfruit and related products, this is implemented in schools with the ardent support of the students. We also bring you news of two other projects on literature collection, propagation and dehydration of jakfruit organized and conducted by non-governmental organizations. Of pancakes and puddings... Love 'at first bite' - a colleague remarked in jest. Who can resist those sweet, soft and creamy pancakes? "Never tasted before and out of this world" was the experience. That was what the students of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Borella (home science classes of year 10 and 11) made the day we visited their school. Jakfruit pancakes. No wonder it was an "award winning recipe." The recipe had brought them the first place of the 'new technologies' category at an exhibition amongst schools of the Colombo circuit last year (2001).
Experimenting and promoting different kinds of food and beverages out of jakfruit is a special project within the schools of Colombo circuit explained Mrs. H. P. T. Peiris, Home Science Instructress of Colombo South, the initiator of the project. The "background of a family in Panadura, who put the efforts of Arthur V. Dias in promoting jakfruit related food, into practice was what inspired the project", she said. The project "mooted to satisfy the special assignment requirement of the O/L students, was welcomed by many with much enthusiasm", explained Mrs. Peiris. At present students of 25 schools in the Colombo circuit including S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Visakha Vidyalaya, Devi Balika Vidyalaya, D. S. Senanayake Vidyalaya and Nalanda Vidyalaya are involved in the project. Many a food and drink had been experimented out of jakfruit by these students, which includes caramal pudding (also very tasty and never guessed if you are not told it was turned out of jakfruit!), watalappan, chapatti, pizza, sausages, pickle and cake. Await our 'recipe of the week' introducing your palates a whole new world of vegetarian food. Recipe of the Week Jakfruit Pancake Ingredients (for 15 pancakes): Cleaned and deseedecd jakfruit segments (madulu) cut into thin pieces - 100 gms Wheat flour or rice flour - 50 gms An egg Water - 01 to 1 1/2 cupsfull Sugar - 01 teaspoonful Salt for seasoning Blend the jakfruit in a food processor/blender until it becomes a thick cream. Using about 1/2 cup of water and gradually adding the pieces of jakfruit. Pour the cream to a saucepan. Add flour, an egg, sugar and salt for seasoning and mix well. Add water to make the batter thin enough to make the pancake. Pour small portions of the batter to a pan and prepare the pancakes. Fold in using a suitable filling. Earning extra money out of excess jakfruit crop... They were 'poor and in need'. That was what the survey carried out by the students of the School of Social Work at a small village in Rambukkana concluded 12 years ago. The research period was drawing to a close. "What are we to give them for their support?" was a question in the minds of the team. Money or material gifts were out of the question. Enlightenment dawned in the form of a jakfruit crop going waste in every nook and corner, under trees of almost every home garden. A project was launched primarily to empower women and give them a hand to increase household income. The 'Weerya Sewa Sansadaya' (WSS) of Rambukkana was established in the year 1991 under the patronage of Milton Illangantilake and Mrs. Chandra Illangantilake. Many activities are being carried out to improve the living conditions of the villagers including dehydration of jakfruit, which has become a significant source of income of the member villagers. The jakfruit dehydration project aims to develop the use of jakfruit as a sustainable food resource and the WSS promotes the effective use and consumption of this natural resource as a means to aiding the development of the local community, says Illangantilake. The fresh jakfruit is bought from the villagers and prepared for the market by local women, using energy resources available in the vicinity. Sawdust fuelled brick ovens are used for dehydration. Being the main product of WSS, a packet of dehydrated jakfruit is sold around Rs. 30. Others in their jakfruit product range include sugared and chillied jakfruit, chutneys and preserves, cordials and several types of food made from jakfruit seeds. The earnings from these products are distributed amongst the villagers who supply and prepare the jakfruit. The products of WSS are available at supermarkets of main cities. WSS also provides training on jakfruit dehydration for small scale projects of many an NGO and CBO. Though, at present the jakfruit dehydration project of the WSS is carried out within the peripheries of the village it was initiated WSS's vision envisages a response for the national food supplying and nutritional requirements. However, efforts are being made to expand the project with the eventual intention of establishing a national jakfruit resource centre disseminating information and providing education and training, explains Illangantilake. Collecting old literature and practices related to jakfruit... That was how 'Haritha' or the Green Movement came across over 100 recipes, all from the villagers from Moneragala and Ratnapura. The research they conducted there revealed the reasons behind feeding pregnant and lactating mothers with food made out of young jakfruit (polos) and how jakfruit helped eradicate malnutrition amongst the children. About two years ago, a jakfruit planting project was initiated in Thanamalwila, Parakaduwa and Godakawela areas. The farmer families who took best care of the saplings were given gifts and certificates. |
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