What is Angkabakng Fruits - Borneo Tallow Nuts (Shorea Stenoptera)

In my family orchard (Kompokng) as far I can remember, the Angkabakng trees has existed since. I have been living in this world for almost half a century, and yet the trees still existed until I collected the fruits (picture bellow) recently. It bring a wonderful memories to me. Even I create my Blog title base on this fruits. Before, when this fruits still marketed when the seasons come, it really brings a lots of joy to our people and sometimes it create a sort of celebration. Everybody will talk about it, and tons of the smoked dried fruits is sold to the Chinese "towkey"in town.

Angkabakng is a Salako words to mentions this tree. The Ibans call it Engkabang, while the Orang Ulu's called it Tengkawang, and the Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh called it "Santong". It is a native crop grows in the tropical rainsforests of South East Asia, especially in the Island of Borneo that covers Sarawak, Sabah (Malaysia) and Kalimantan in Indonesia. From this fruits names the locals (indigenous) people called Helicopter as Belon Angkabakng (Salako) or Belon Engkabang in Ibans because the way this fruit falls to the ground, that is spinning just like the Helicopter blade spins.

My blog title Naremang is base on the activities of our people collecting this fruits especially at the end season of this fruits seasons by the months of January. This activities or Naremang is an activity of collecting the fruits that is already start sprouting (as picture bellow).

Our people (great grandparents) planted this Angkabakng many years ago because its has commercial value. During the seasons, we'll collects the ripen fruits fallen by the gusting winds. Then we'll noko'i (knock) the fruits with a small piece of woods to separate the fruits from the "wings". After that we'll Nyale (smoke dry) it inside a hut specially built for this fruits seasons. Usually it will take 2 to 3 days to dry it. Then we'll ngopakik (breaks) the dried shells of the fruits to gets the dried seeds and it’s ready for sale. It’s a tedious job though and yet the price is so low, and mid 80's it only fetches around 0.50 US dollar per kilograms. As mention in a few journals and blogs that is published in the nets, this trees took 8-9 years to mature. It life spans can lasted for 100years or more, as what that still stands until today at my family orchard.

These trees produce a fruits that is beneficial to us as human being. From a few facts that I read from the nets, the fruits is rich in fatty acids of oil, that is: Palmitic acid 18.0%, Stearic acid 43.3%, Arachidic acid 1.1%, Oleic acid 37.4%, and Linpleic acid 0.2%.

As mentions in a few article in the nets, the angkabakng fruits can be processed into a butter (Illipe butter) and have high ability to restore elasticity to the skin. It is beneficial for the treatment of: Moisturizing chronically dry skin, Mature skin, Sunburn, Healing sores, Damaged skin, Rough skin (such as on feet), Mouth ulcers, and Dry or over processed hair.

But, as thing turns around in this 21 century, sad to know that a lots of this angkabakng trees is fallen down by the greedy and unscurpulus people for the highly sought after timber. To me, we can't blame them for cutting down these trees because the price of this fruits tree is nothing compare to the tedious works that we have to go through in processing this fruits before we can markets to the world community to benefit it. Sad to say, in this year seasons (2009-2010), nobody in my community is collecting this fruits because there no news of any towkey in town is willing to buy it. What a waste.......

I'm lucky because my parents, especially my staunch mother who is still keeping and protecting the grown trees, and there is almost 20 - 30 big and tall almost 100 years plus trees at my family kompokng (orchard). What a wonderful tree it is. Actually this ankabakng trees has a lot of varieties, and at my home town, Lundu there is still a lots to see, and the wild species that grows wild is still standing tall at our proud heritage of Gading Mountain which is one of the famous Government Reserved Forest in Sarawak. Hopefully this wonderful tree will last, because although as we say it is protected, but still there is some greedy and unscrupulous people couldn't care much the important of nature to us. To them fast money is better than a wonderful lush greenly world.