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| Sunday, 23 June 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Jak - nature's wonderful gift 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. This project is sponsored by Sevana Lotteries division of Sri Lanka Lotteries Board. by Andrew Scott From the pre-historic times the jak tree has been in existence in Asia and from the time of Alexander's invasion of India it has attracted the attention of many foreigners who visited various parts of Asia and extensive accounts left by them are both interesting and informative. Even though a native of Southern Asia the jak fruit tree is now spread almost throughout the world and it is also interesting to note that the Englishmen borrowed the word jak from the Portuguese and the Dutch. As in the case of the Sacred Bo-Tree, there are many legends about the origin of the jak tree too and in Sri Lanka as well as in India man's pastoral affection for this tree with manifold uses has sometimes resulted in murder or even in one's own destruction. Early observers have made many interesting descriptions about this tree. Referring to it Pliny says: "Another tree, there is in India, greater yet than the former; bearing a fruit much bigger and sweeter than the figs aforesaid; and whereof the Indian sages and philosophers do ordinarily live..... The fruit is put forth at the bark, having with it a wonderful pleasant juice and one of them is sufficient to give 4 men a competent and full refection." Thus as jak trees grew wild and needed no tending sages would have found it to be a nourishing food. Another early observer, Theophrastus, gives a more accurate account of it and says: "There is another tree of giant size and produces a fruit that is wonderfully big and sweet. This is used as food by the Indian sages who wear no clothes." Vivid Friar Oderic too gives a vivid account of the jak tree and says: "There be also trees which produce fruits so big that two will be a load for a strong man. When they are eaten you must oil your hands and your mouth. Some of them are of a fragrant odour and very savory. "An early writer about Sri Lanka, Robert Knox, discoursing on the fruits of this country gives an elaborate description of this fruit and how it was made use of to prepare various food items. From time immemorial the jak tree has been even an object of religious worship throughout Asia, specially in India. In fact this was one of the earliest trees to have been worshipped and held in high veneration. Even today, specially in India, some people who consider the wood of this tree as very pure use it to make images of their gods. The Sinhalese villager considers it very lucky to have a jak tree (Kiri gaha) close to his house and he firmly believes that it brings good luck to the entire family. Edible Specially in Sri Lanka the jak tree has a variety of uses and in fact no other edible fruit can compare favourably with it. Its tender fruit (polos) is eminently suitable as a delicious curry and the mature fruit (kos) is ideal for eating raw, cooked or boiled. In many Sri Lankan villages, specially during the jak fruit season (kos waraya) cooked jak fruit (kiri kos maluwa) forms a savory vegetable, specially when it is tempered with oil and condiments. Its seeds (kos eta) when roasted forms a delicious plate and they can also be easily stocked away hidden in a small heap of dry sand in some dark nook in the house and taken for use during the lean months. This is popularly refereed to as weli-kos-eta. I still nostalgically recall how in the good old days my grandmother caringly stocked large heaps of weli-cos-eta and made use of them to prepare various mouth watering delicacies for us whose duty was to collect the fallen seeds from under the robust jak trees that sprawled our garden. There is nothing that is wasted in the jak fruit, perhaps the largest edible fruit in the world. Even its thorny bark or outer covering, not used for human consumption, is used as cattle fodder. Jams and jellies are made from the pulp of the ripe fruits, specially the waraka variety, and the pulp of the well matured fruit is excellent for making chips and to be fried. The timber of the jak tree, well known for its durability and pleasing appearance, is widely used for making quality furniture and its leaves form an excellent fodder for goats and elephants. The well dried leaves form an excellent fertiliser. The importance of the jak fruit as an article of diet as well as the use of the other parts of the jak tree for various domestic and utility purposes is a blessing to mankind. The jak is indeed a wonderful gift of nature. |
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