Lansium
domesticum, also
known as langsat, buahluku or lanzones, is a species of tree in the family Meliaceae. The fruit is can
be elliptical, oval, or round. Fruits look much like small potatoes and are
borne in clusters similar to grapes. The larger fruits are on the variety known
as duku. It is covered by thin, yellow hair giving a slightly fuzzy aspect. The
fruit contains 1 to 3 seeds, flat, and bitter tasting; the seeds are covered
with a thick, clear-white aril
that is tastes sweet and sour. The taste has been likened to a combination of
grape and grapefruit and is considered excellent by most. The sweet juicy flesh
contains sucrose, fructose, and glucose. L.
domesticum is cultivated
mainly for its fruit, which can be eaten raw. The fruit can also be bottled in
syrup. The wood is hard, thick, heavy, and resilient, allowing it to be used in
the construction of rural houses.
Some
parts of the plant are used in making traditional medicine. The bitter seeds
can be pounded and mixed with water to make a deworming and ulcer
medication. The bark is used to treat dysentery and malaria; the powdered bark
can also be used to treat scorpion stings. The fruit's skin is used to treat
diarrhea, and in the Philippines the dried skin is burned as a mosquito
repellent. The skin, especially of the langsat variety, can be dried and
burned as incense.
The greatest
producers of lansium domesticum are Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines
and Indonesia. The production is mostly for internal consumption, although some are exported to Singapore
and Hong Kong.
(Sorry no time right now to edit the layout -- back soon!)
