Saccharum edule facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saccharum edule |
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| Saccharum edule at a market in Luwuk, Banggai, Central Sulawesi | |
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Saccharum
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S. edule
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| Saccharum edule |
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Saccharum edule is a special type of sugarcane. It is a grass plant with a stem that is full of sugar. This plant grows in warm, tropical places in Southeast Asia. It has many different names around the world. Some common names are duruka, tebu telor, Fiji asparagus, dule (in Fiji), pitpit (in Melanesia), and naviso.
People eat the young, unopened flower heads of Saccharum edule. They can be eaten raw, steamed, or toasted. They are prepared in many ways in Southeast Asia, including places like Fiji and some islands in Indonesia.
What is Saccharum edule?
Saccharum edule is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows in strong groups, reaching a height of about 1.5 to 4 meters (about 5 to 13 feet). From a distance, it looks a lot like regular sugarcane.
However, its stem is thinner than sugarcane. Its leaves are also thinner and more flexible. The plant's large flower clusters do not open up. Instead, they stay inside their leaf covers, forming a thick, dense mass. Scientists have studied the genome (the complete set of DNA) of Saccharum edule.
Where Does It Grow?
Saccharum edule first came from Southeast Asia. It also grows on many islands in the Pacific Ocean. You can find it from sea level up to high mountains. This plant needs warm weather to grow well. It prefers temperatures between 20°C and 30°C (68°F to 86°F). It also needs a lot of rain, about 1500 to 3000 millimeters (59 to 118 inches) each year.
How Do People Use It?
The unopened flower heads of Saccharum edule are picked and eaten as a vegetable. People eat them raw or cooked. In Fiji, there are many different types of this plant. Some even grow wild along riverbanks.
Kids in Fiji love to gather, roast, and eat the flower heads. They enjoy the red duruka early in the season. Later, they eat different types of white duruka as they become ready. These flower heads are often sold in local markets as a vegetable.
A purple type of duruka has also become popular. It flowers twice a year. There are even plans to can this plant and sell it as "Fijian asparagus." Besides being food, this plant also helps stop soil from washing away (erosion control). In Papua New Guinea, people cook pitpit in coconut milk before eating it.
