Introduction to Jengkol
Jengkol: Sharp-Smelling But Loved by Many
Jengkol is a pungent-smelling food that is widely consumed in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Jengkol is a legume plant (from the Fabaceae family) that produces a fruit with a distinctive and strong aroma that is referred to as “bau jengkol”. Despite its unpleasant odor, jengkol is widely loved for its unique taste and soft texture. Besides being consumed raw, jengkol is usually processed into various traditional dishes, such as jengkol stew, jengkol rendang, jengkol balado, or fried jengkol.
How to Plant Jengkol
From Grafting to Daily Harvested Jengkol
Prepare Seedlings Through Grafting
Prepare the rootstock from seedlings or from jengkol seeds that grow wild. Put the jengkol seedlings into a large polybag. Look for a bud from one of the fruiting jengkol trees.
Make Planting Holes
Make a planting hole with a size of 40 cm x 40 cm with a depth of 40 cm. The planting hole is filled with manure up to 2/3 of it and then the planting hole is left for 1 month to allow the manure to soak in and add nutrients to the soil. If planting jengkol in large quantities, the planting distance must be set at 5-6 meters from the previous hole.
Planting Jengkol Seedlings
Open the seedling polybag by gently tearing it, then insert the seedlings into the prepared planting holes. Cover the hole again using the remaining soil, then compact it. Do the same until all the holes are planted.
Caring for the Jengkol Tree
Weeding: Ensure that grass or weeds do not grow and cover the plant, thus inhibiting growth. Fertilization: Re-fertilization is done after the plant is 6 months old with a mixture of manure, urea, TSP, and KCL in a ratio of 2:1:1:1.
Unlimited Jengkol Harvest
Choose a harvest time when the jengkol fruit is ripe, which is dark brown or blackish in color. Jengkol harvesting in Indonesia is usually done around 6-7 months after flowering, during the dry season between June and September.
Binomial Name
Scientific Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Subkingdom
Tracheobionta
Divisi
Magnoliophyta
Kelas
Magnoliopsida
Ordo
Fabales
Famili
Mimosaceae
Genus
Pithecellobium
Spesies
Pithecellobium lobatum Benth
Origin of Jengkol
From the Tropical Forest to the Table
Basically, jengkol is a fruit that comes from a tree with the Latin name Pithecellobium jiringa that lives in tropical forests. Jengkol grows in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos. Initially, jengkol trees grew wild in the forest, then were cultivated in plantations for consumption.
Jengkol Production Centers in Indonesia
Central Java
West Sumatra
West Java
Lampung
Banten
Fun Facts
Thomas Stamford Raffles mentioned jengkol in his book The History of Java as a food commonly consumed by the people of Java. In some areas, jengkol is also known as jering or joriang.
Nutrient Content of Clove
Per (100 gram)
Energy
154 kkal
Fat
0,3 gr
Carbohydrate
40,7 gr
Fiber
1,5 gr
Calcium
4 mg
Phosphor
150 mg
Sodium
60 mg
Copper
0,3 mg
Zinc
0,6 mg
Potassium
241 mg
Iron
0,7 mg
Vitamin B1
0,05 gr
Vitamin B2
0,2 mg
Vitamin B3
0,5 mg
Vitamin C
31 mg
Protein
5,4 mg
Key Health Benefits
Maintain digestive health
The high fiber content in jengkol is beneficial for digestion.
Controls blood sugar
The high fiber and protein content in jengkol plays a role in slowing down the absorption of glucose in the body, so that sugar levels can be controlled.
Maintains body weight
Apart from improving the digestive system, the high fiber content in jengkol can also help you lose weight.
Maintains bone health
Jengkol is a source of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus that play a role in maintaining bone density and preventing osteoporosis.
Prevents anemia
Jengkol has a high iron content that can help prevent anemia due to iron deficiency.
Increases body resistance
Jengkol contains vitamin C which acts as an antioxidant to help improve the immune system.
Jengkol Varieties
Jengkol Varieties You Should Know
Kuali Valley Variety
This is the flagship jengkol of Aceh Jaya Regency with production reaching 456-574 kg/tree/year and has a savory meat flavor.
Abyan variety
This variety produces 350 - 440 kg of jengkol per tree per year. This jengkol is resistant to long-distance transportation, so it is widely marketed outside the region.
Bareh variety
This jengkol is the flagship of Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra. This variety has a round-shaped fruit, very fluffy texture, with a less pungent aroma.
Lokan variety
The flagship of Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra, Jengkol has little potential to cause stomach pain.
You Should Know
Jengkol Bareh and Lokan have been named the most delicious jengkol.
Economic and Market Potential of Jengkol
Jengkol: An Export Commodity with Great Potential
Jengkol is a promising commodity for export. In 2020, Indonesia’s jengkol export value reached US$4.7 million. In 2021, West Sumatra successfully exported 100 kg of jengkol to Japan, while West Java sent 50 kg of jengkol to Dubai through the One Pesantren One Product (OPOP) program.
For farmers who have a 1-hectare jengkol plantation, they can earn up to IDR 50 million to IDR 200 million per year.
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