ค้นหาบล็อกนี้

วันศุกร์ที่ 24 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2554

Gibbon Rehabiliton Project

Gibbon Rehabiliton Project

The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project is a wildlife centre located close to Bangpae Waterfall. It was founded in 1992 by three men, Noppadol Preuksawan, the then chief of the Royal Forest Department in Phuket, Thavrn Sri-Oon, Bang Pae Sub-Station chief, and American zoologist Terrance Dillon Morin.

Here, you may make a donation to be benefit of the gibbons, or purchase items at the souvenir stall. There are signboards telling visitors about the gibbons. The centre has a mission to educate visitors and generate awareness so that people will reject the idea of keeping gibbons as pets. It has intends to repopulate the wildlife reserve with gibbons.

Visitors are not allowed to approach too close to the cages where the gibbons are kept. This is to reduce direct human contact with the gibbons, so that they can eventually be reintroduced to the wild.

Getting there
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project is located on the northeast part of Phuket Island, close to the Two Heroines Monument. From the monument at Thepkasattri Road, take the exit heading east (Paklok Road or Route 4027).

After about 9kms there is a left turn next to an elephant trekking camp. You are now entering the wildlife reserve. You will have to pay an entrance fee to the National Park Wldlife and Plant Conservation Department to proceed. After about 1 km, you will reach the parking area. There is no entrance fee to the gibbon centre. The centre is open from 9:00am to 4:00pm daily.

วันพุธที่ 8 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2554

Chinese Shrine in Phuket

Chinese Shrine in Phuket

By the year 1857
Shrine Lai Tow Taw Bo Kang (Kathu)
Shrine Konw Tay Kon (Sapum)
Shrine Hok Chay Keng (福星宮) (Chid Sae New Ma) - construct 1807
Shrine Tean Tek Tong
Shrine Som San Tean Aew King - construct 1853
Shrine Hok Zan Kang (福山宮)

During the year 1857 - 1907
Shrine Juw Tuw Taw Bo Kang
Shrine Pud Jor - About a year 1867 (old name) Shrine Tey Kun
Shrine Thong Hun Kang - construct 1867
Shrine Sang Tek Baw (Pho Tor Kong) - construct 1890
Shrine Tang Kong Tong (Sang Tham) - construct 1891
Shrine Thai Zu - construct 1892
Shrine Thai Nguan Tong (Jor Aong) - construct 1898
Shrine Sam Kay Kong (Bang Khoo)
Shrine Sam Aong Hoow (Chong Ta Lay) - construct 1901
Shrine Jang Jew Huw Kone (Hai Lam) - construct 1901
Shrine Hun Jong Aam - construct 1906
Shrine Bang Neaw Taw Bo Kang (Bang Neaw) (網寮斗母宮) - construct 1907
Shrine Hog Lang Kang (Ta Ruea)
Shrine Tong Yong Su (Eang Yee)
Shrine Hog Seang Kang
Shrine Nguan Hok Kang
Shrine Hok Nguan Kong
Shrine Hok Zae Kang Pun Thow Kong

During the year 1908 - 1977
Shrine Lim Tai Zu - construct 1915
Shrine Kew Lang Tong - construct 1917
Shrine Lim Hu Tai Zu - construct 1919
Shrine Yok Kea Kang - construct 1947
Shrine Tay Kun Tai Tey - construct 1972
Shrine Koi Sang Aong - construct 1976

During the year 1978 - now
Shrine Kew Ten Kang - construct 1995
Shrine Jang Pho Tang - construct 1979
Shrine Zuy Bun Tong - construct 1979
Shrine Sam Zea Ju Hud - construct 2001
Shrine Hok Tek Sue - construct 2004
Shrine Hok Zean Toew - construct 2010

O-Aew

O-Aew

Ae Oh that is made from a type of vegetable seeds. Bring water and then use it to mix with injuries of the intestinal tract of banana. The lift to put Jia Eh Oh that. Caking. When finished, the process steps will have looks similar to gelatin, but because the sweet taste than the aroma of nature really are not any contaminants are reviewed by another body. It has hot properties in solution. Planing and served with red bean ice. Sweet mellow.

O-Taw

O-Taw

Is the name of snacks or full review. Fried oyster family. But with the cook and stir very different. O Tao is a Chinese Hokkien food. Many residents in Phuket. Effects of O-Tao.

Features of Tao-O is a type of fried food, dry And often with a topping of fried onion mixed with pork fat. (Movies or just the pork, fried pork), chopped into small pieces. To add onion and pork mixed with leather frame To eat at the Ornrntrns extremely impressive. The study data About food in Thailand. I've never had appeared. Where Available "Oh Tao, also in Phuket only only Oh, because Tao is the only food of the Chinese Hokkien directly If you do have the opportunity to travel in Phuket. Should look forward to the opportunity to taste the delicious aroma of O staff that this.

Kang Taipla (Hang, Koaking)

Kang Taipla (Hang, Koaking)

A quick and classic southern Thai curry which hot, spicy and typical good flavor of fermented Taipla and famous Thai medical plants.

A thick paste that looks brown water is the main ingredient of the kidney and roasted chili paste. Two kidney head kidney popular vegetables of various kinds are common ingredients. Seasoned with Garcinia. Serve with steamed rice. Or may be served with noodles. A spicy, salty and slightly sour.

Kung Seab (Hot Crunchy Roasted Prawn)

Kung Seab Songkruang (Hot Crunchy Roasted Prawn)

A quick and delicious roasted prawn which blending taste of sweet,sour, a little bit salty, hot and spicy from Thai medicinal plants.

The shrimp paste wrapped in banana leaves, or have already come to light the grill with any fragrance. Then plug shrimp. Or small shrimp. The fire burned to the pound frame and enough crushed in a bowl and then scoop it before. Then turn to low chili with shallots. As well as shrimp paste, crushed well enough. Plug the shrimp until it together again and pound. Then season with salt and palm sugar, lime juice, pound mix to combine. Then dip in a bowl sprinkle with shrimp that are not plugged into some 4-5 pound feeders along with fresh vegetables and steamed rice.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 2 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2554

Anchovy (Ching chang fish)

Anchovy (Ching chang fish)
Anchovies are a family (Engraulidae) of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are about 140 species in 16 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish

Description

Anchovies are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin. They range from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 40 centimetres (16 in) in adult length, and the body shape is variable with more slender fish in northern populations.
The snout is blunt with tiny, sharp teeth in both jaws. The snout contains a unique rostral organ, believed to be sensory in nature, although its exact function is unknown. The mouth is larger than that of herrings and silversides, two fish anchovies closely resemble in other respects. The anchovy eats plankton and fry (recently-hatched fish).

Distribution
They are found in scattered areas throughout the world's oceans, but are concentrated in temperate waters, and are rare or absent in very cold or very warm seas. They are generally very accepting of a wide range of temperatures and salinity. Large schools can be found in shallow, brackish areas with muddy bottoms, as in estuaries and bays. Anchovies are abundant in the Mediterranean, and are regularly caught on the coasts of Sicily, Italy, France, Turkey and Spain. They are also found on the coast of northern Africa. The range of the species also extends along the Atlantic coast of Europe to the south of Norway. Spawning occurs between October and March, but not in water colder than 12°C (53.6°F). The anchovy appears to spawn at least 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the shore, near the surface of the water.

Predation
The anchovy is a significant food source for almost every predatory fish in its environment, including the California halibut, rock fish, yellowtail, sharks, chinook, and coho salmon. It is also extremely important to marine mammals and birds; for example, breeding success of California brown pelicans and elegant terns is strongly connected to anchovy abundance.

Consumption

Anchovies are also eaten by humans. When preserved by being gutted and salted in brine, matured, then packed in oil or salt, they acquire a characteristic strong flavor. In Roman times, they were the base for the fermented fish sauce called garum that was a staple of cuisine and an item of long-distance commerce produced in industrial quantities, and were also consumed raw as an aphrodisiac. Today they are used in small quantities to flavor many dishes. Because of the strong flavor, they are also an ingredient in several sauces, including Worcestershire sauce, remoulade and many fish sauces, and in some versions of Café de Paris butter. For domestic use, anchovy fillets are packed in oil or salt in small tins or jars, sometimes rolled around capers. Anchovy paste is also available. Fishermen also use anchovies as bait for larger fish, such as tuna and sea bass.

The strong taste people associate with anchovies is due to the curing process. Fresh anchovies, known in Italy as alici, have a much milder flavor. In Sweden, the name anchovies is related strongly to a traditional seasoning, hence the product "anchovies" is normally made of sprats and also herring can be sold as "anchovy-spiced", leading to confusion when translating recipes.
The European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, is the main commercial anchovy, with Morocco being the largest supplier of canned anchovies. The anchovy industry along the coast of Cantabria, initiated in Cantabria by Sicilian salters in the mid 19th century, now dwarfs the traditional Catalan salters.

Fresh and dried anchovies are a popular part of the cuisine in Kerala and other south Indian states, where they are referred to as kozhuva (and nethili in Tamil Nadu) and provide a cheap source of protein in the diet. Fresh anchovies are eaten fried or as in a spicy curry. In English-speaking countries, alici are sometimes called "white anchovies", and are often served in a weak vinegar marinade, a preservation method associated with the coastal town of Collioure in southeast France. The white fillets (a little like marinated herrings) are sold in heavy salt, or the more popular garlic or tomato oil and vinegar marinade packs.

In Southeast Asian countries, dried anchovies are known as ikan bilis, setipinna taty, or in Indonesia ikan teri, (ikan being the Malay word for fish) and dilis in the Philippines. In Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, anchovies are used to make fish stock, Javanese sambal, or are deep fried. Ikan bilis is normally used in a similar way to dried shrimp in Malaysian cuisine. Anchovy is also used to produce budu, by a fermentation process. In Vietnam, anchovy is the main ingredient in the fish sauce - nước mắm - the unofficial national sauce of Vietnam. In other parts of Asia, such as Korea and Japan, sun-dried anchovies are used to produce a rich soup similar to setipinna taty. In the Philippines, anchovy is very popular in making bagoong, a fermented concoction used for cooking. These anchovy stocks are usually used as a base for noodle soups or traditional Korean soups. There are many other variations on how anchovy is used, especially in Korea.

In North America, anchovies are most commonly known as a pizza topping, as an optional ingredient in Caesar salad, and as a component of Worcestershire sauce.
In Turkey, anchovy is known as hamsi (which is derived from hamsin, an Arabic term for the winter period) and is eaten between November and March. It is generally consumed fried, grilled, steamed, as a meatball, and as Döner, baklava and pilav.

Health concerns
Anchovies can concentrate domoic acid, which causes amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans, sea mammals, and birds. If suspected, medical attention should be sought.

Information : Wikipedia

Cashew

Cashew

The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts (see below) and cashew apples.

Etymology
The name Anacardium refers to the shape of the fruit, which looks like an inverted heart (ana means "upwards" and -cardium means "heart"). In the Tupian languages acajú means "yellow head".

Habitat and growth
The tree is small and evergreen, growing to 10-12m (~32 ft) tall, with a short, often irregularly shaped trunk. The leaves are spirally arranged, leathery textured, elliptic to obovate, 4 to 22 cm long and 2 to 15 cm broad, with a smooth margin. The flowers are produced in a panicle or corymb up to 26 cm long, each flower small, pale green at first then turning reddish, with five slender, acute petals 7 to 15 mm long. The largest cashew tree in the world covers an area of about 7,500 square metres (81,000 sq ft).
The fruit of the cashew tree is an accessory fruit (sometimes called a pseudocarp or false fruit). What appears to be the fruit is an oval or pear-shaped structure that develops from the pedicel and the receptacle of the cashew flower.

Called the cashew apple, better known in Central America as "marañón", it ripens into a yellow and/or red structure about 5–11 cm long. It is edible, and has a strong "sweet" smell and a sweet taste. The pulp of the cashew apple is very juicy, but the skin is fragile, making it unsuitable for transport. In Latin America, a fruit drink is made from the cashew apple pulp which has a very refreshing taste and tropical flavor that can be described as having notes of mango, raw green pepper, and just a little hint of grapefruit-like citrus. The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. The drupe develops first on the tree, and then the pedicel expands into the cashew apple.

Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the nut of the cashew is a seed. The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing an allergenic phenolic resin, anacardic acid, a potent skin irritant chemically related to the more well known allergenic oil urushiol which is also a toxin found in the related poison ivy.

Properly roasting cashews destroys the toxin, however it must be done outdoors as the smoke (not unlike that from burning poison ivy) contains urushiol droplets which can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening reactions by irritating the lungs. People who are allergic to cashew urushiols may also react to mango or pistachio which are also in the Anacardiaceae family. Some people are allergic to cashew nuts, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than nuts or peanuts.
Dispersal
While native to Brazil, the Portuguese took the cashew plant to Goa, India, between the years of 1560 and 1565. From there it spread throughout Southeast Asia and eventually Africa.

Information : Wikipedia

Phuket Batik

Phuket Batik
The word batik conjures thoughts of exotic, Oriental textiles, rich in colour and design. Bright batik cloth can be seen on almost any beach in the form of sarongs and has been utilized to make shirts, ties, scarves and even shoes in the fashion industry. Interior decoration may use batik tablecloths, curtains, placemats and even picture frames. This versatile and durable textile is being applied to more areas everyday and not only that, but the process of making batik is becoming a popular past time with visitors to Phuket.The origins of this intricate art form are largely unknown. Evidence of batik work has been found all over the Middle East, India and Central Asia however, for a long time it has been most prevalent in Java, Indonesia. When batik was introduced in Java, it was mostly practiced as a hobby by ‘fine ladies’ and so the ability to make the exquisite cloth was considered a sign of refinement. Initially batik cloth was used to make costumes for aristocrats and royalty and sometimes, particular designs would signify a person’s family, social status or origin.

The mass production of batik is cost effective and very popular however, hand painting is still practiced in many parts of the world and there is an enthusiastic market for this high quality textile. Some of the finest batik is made in Java where traditionally they used deep indigo blues and browns to represent Hindu gods. Nowadays Javanese artists are still heavily influenced by the Hindu religion using the motifs of the garuda bird, lotus flower and the dragon Naga. Islamic influences are depicted by more geometric and botanical designs.
In the 17th Century when the Dutch colonized Java, they sent samples of batik back to Europe where the technique was applied to leather, ivory, paper and even metal, and with the introduction of German dyes, the artists could choose from a new, diverse array of colours. Chinese influenced batik is distinctive. The motifs include dragons, the phoenix, snakes, lions and flowers. Chinese artists introduced bright pastel colours and employed the use of beeswax rather than paraffin wax to improve the quality of the lines.

Ancient batik designs generally showed intricate patterns rather than the elaborate scenes we see today. The method involved waxing the cloth to make it dye resistant, then dyeing an un-waxed portion in a chosen colour. The wax was then removed by plunging the fabric into boiling water, where it would melt and separate from the fibres. The batik was then dried out completely, before repeating the whole procedure for each colour.
Nowadays the process is much the same but a number of design tools have been invented to ease production. A pola, allows stencils or patterns to be copied onto the fabric to be used as a guide for wax application. Mass producers of batik use large copper blocks to stamp hot wax designs onto the cloth. Alternatively, an artist may ‘chant’ a wax outline by hand, and for this he will use a ‘cant’, a copper tipped hollow pen that spills wax smoothly onto the cotton or silk. These two methods of making wax outlines allow the dye to be painted on, just like painting on canvas. By painting the dye onto the fabric, the artist is able to grade the colours, creating shades and shadows necessary for more intricate and detailed designs. The batik will only need to be boiled once to remove the wax, so the colourfast cloth retains maximum brightness.

In Africa, batik was made using a paste consisting of cassava flour, rice and copper sulfate instead of wax. What a well travelled craft! From its majestic beginnings in Java, the batik art form spread throughout India, China, Malaysia and Europe and has gradually became popular in today’s fashion and home decor industries.
The largest producers of batik are Indonesia, and Malaysia, who adorn batik as their national costume, however Thailand’s industry is growing. A number of batik artists operate in Phuket and most of them will allow you to design and sometimes even make your own batik cloth. In addition many 5-star hotels on the island are incorporating batik art rooms into their hotel facilities. Many shops now sell batik items depicting cartoon characters, abstract portraits and various other ethnic designs. The most popular designs sold in Phuket generally reflect our tropical climate with fish, dolphins, palm trees and flowers being incorporated into lavish scenes which are colourful and extremely eye-catching and serve as a perfect token of Thailand for your loved ones at home.

Information : Wikipedia

วันพุธที่ 1 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2554

Parkia speciosa

Parkia speciosa

Parkia speciosa (petai, bitter bean, Thai: sataw, twisted cluster bean, yongchaa, yongchaak or kampai, zawngtah or stink bean) is a plant of the genus Parkia in the family Fabaceae. It bears long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, characterised by some as being similar to that added to methane gas.

Uses
The beans are an acquired taste, but are popular in Laos, southern Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and northeastern India, and are sold in bunches, still in the pod, or the seeds are sold in plastic bags. Pods are gathered from the wild, or from cultivated trees: they are exported in jars or cans, pickled in brine, or frozen.

Culinary use
Depending on the country of origin they may be labelled peteh, petai,yongchaa, yongchaak, Zawngṭah, sataw, or sator. They are best when combined with other strongly flavoured foods such as garlic, chile peppers, and dried shrimp, as in "sambal petai", or added to a Thai curry such as Thai Duck Green Curry. When young the pods are flat because the seeds have not yet developed, and they hang like a bunch of slightly twisted ribbons, pale green, almost translucent. At this stage they may be eaten raw, fried or pickled. Young tender pods with undeveloped beans can be used whole in stir-fried dishes. In Manipur, a north-eastern state of India, the seeds or the bean as a whole are eaten by preparing a local delicacy called Iromba or Yongchak singju. Seeds are also dried and seasoned for later consumption. When dried the seeds turn black. In Indonesia, petai is very popular in the highlands of Java, Sumatra, especially among Batak, Minangkabau and many other people in different cultures of the island.
Petai beans or seeds look like broad beans. Like mature broad beans, they may have to be peeled before cooking. Petai has earned its nickname 'stink bean' because its strong smell is very pervasive. It lingers in the mouth and body. Like asparagus, it contains certain amino acids that give a strong smell to one's urine, an effect that can be noticed up to two days after consumption. Like other beans, their complex carbohydrates can also cause strong-smelling flatulence.

Botanical description
The petai tree can grow to about 90 feet (30 metres). It bears flowers in a light-bulb shaped mass at the end of long stalks. The flowers secrete a nectar that attracts bats and other pollinators. The tiny flowers mature and die. Long, twisted, translucent pods emerge in a cluster of 7 or 8 pods. When those pods are mature, within them will reside the petai beans or seeds.

Information & Photo : Wikipedia & oknation

Chelonia mydas

Chelonia mydas

Species Description
Weight: 300-350 pounds (135-160 kg) for adults; hatchlings weigh 0.05 lbs (25 g)
Length: 3 feet (1 m) for adults;hatchlings are 2 inches (50 mm)
Appearance: top shell (carapace) is smooth with shades of black, gray, green, brown, and yellow; their bottom shell (plastron) is yellowish white
Lifespan: unknown, but sexual maturity occurs anywhere between 20-50 years
Diet: seagrasses and algae
Behavior: females return to the same beaches where they were born ("natal" beaches) every 2-4 years to lay eggs, generally in the summer months

Green turtles are the largest of all the hard-shelled sea turtles, but have a comparatively small head.

Adult green turtles are unique among sea turtles in that they eat only plants; they are herbivorous, feeding primarily on seagrasses and algae. This diet is thought to give them greenish-colored fat, from which they take their name.

While nesting season varies from location to location, in the southeastern U.S., females generally nest in the summer between June and September; peak nesting occurs in June and July. During the nesting season, females nest at approximately two-week intervals. They lay an average of five nests, or "clutches." In Florida, green turtle nests contain an average of 135 eggs, which will incubate for approximately 2 months before hatching

Habitat


Green turtles primarily use three types of habitat:
- beaches for nesting
- open ocean convergence zones
- coastal areas for
"benthic" feeding

Adult females migrate from foraging areas to mainland or island nesting beaches and may travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers each way. After emerging from the nest, hatchlings swim to offshore areas, where they are believed to live for several years, feeding close to the surface on a variety of pelagic plants and animals. Once the juveniles reach a certain age/size range, they leave the pelagic habitat and travel to nearshore foraging grounds. Once they move to these nearshore benthic habitats, adult green turtles are almost exclusively herbivores, feeding on sea grasses and algae.

Critical habitat


Critical habitat was designated in 1998 for green turtles in coastal waters around Culebra Island, Puerto Rico.

The green turtle is globally distributed and generally found in tropical and subtropical waters along continental coasts and islands between 30° North and 30° South. Nesting occurs in over 80 countries throughout the year (though not throughout the year at each specific location). Green turtles are thought to inhabit coastal areas of more than 140 countries.

In U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters, green turtles are found in inshore and nearshore waters from Texas to Massachusetts, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Important feeding areas in Florida include the Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Homosassa, Crystal River, Cedar Key, and St. Joseph Bay.

In the eastern North Pacific, green turtles have been sighted from Baja California to southern Alaska, but most commonly occur from San Diego south. In the central Pacific, green turtles occur around most tropical islands, including the Hawaiian Islands. Adult green turtles that feed throughout the main Hawaiian Islands undergo a long migration to French Frigate Shoals in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, where the majority of nesting and mating occurs.

Population Trends


The two largest nesting populations are found at:
- Tortuguero, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, where 22,500 females nest per season on average
- Raine Island, on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where 18,000 females nest per season on average

In the U.S., green turtles nest primarily along the central and southeast coast of Florida where an estimated 200-1,100 females nest annually.

In a 2004 Green Turtle Assessment, the Marine Turtle Specialist Group
(MTSG) of the IUCN classified green turtles as endangered globally. Analyses of historic and recent abundance information by the MTSG indicates that extensive population declines have occurred in all major ocean basins over approximately the past 100-150 years. The MTSG analyzed population trends at 32 index nesting sites around the world and found a 48-65% decline in the number of mature females nesting annually over the past 100-150 years.

Threats


- harvest of eggs and adults (historically, though the practice continues in some areas of the world)
- incidental capture in fishing gear
- fibropapillomatosis (disease)
- general threats to marine turtles

Information & Photo : nmfs.noaa

Durian (Saku)

Durian (Saku)

History of Durian
Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia are native to the durian tree, though Western countries have known it for more than six centuries. Niccolo Da Conti, a Venetian merchant who traveled to China and Western Asian countries in 15th century had mentioned durian fruit in his documents. Garcia De Orta, a Portuguese physician, mentioned durian in his book named Coloquois dos Simples e Drogas da India launched in 1563. The book, Herbarium Amboinense published in 1974 by the Georg Eberhard Rumphius, German Botanist, also gives a detailed and well-researched account on the durian.

Durian Seeds The Portuguese introduced Durio ziebethuinus to Ceylon in the 16th century. Many new types were also introduced later. In late 1800, Southeast Asian countries that were first familiarized with the plant started to grow it commercially in 20th century. Edmund James Banfield, a naturalist of Australian origin, got a durian seed in 2000 from one of his Singaporean friends and planted it in Queensland first introducing durian to Australians.

a id="durianhabitats" name="durianhabitats">Habitats of Durian Fruit
Durian is a native plant of Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia but some highlight that it is native to Philippines as well. Thailand is one of the main countries that export durian to the international market. Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, West Indies, India, Hawaii, Polynesian Islands, Madagascar, China, Singapore, Northern Australia, and Malaysia as well as some parts of America are also well known as habitats for the durian tree.

a id="durianappearance" name="durianappearance">Appearance of Durian
Nick named ‘King of Fruits’; durian is highly valued in Southeast Asian countries. Durian has a very distinguished smell and its skin is thorny and hard. The dimension of a durian fruit is about 30 – 15 cm and its weight is about three Kgs. Durian flowers bloom in a cluster and there are about three to thirty identical clusters borne on its trunk and large branches. Every flower has sepals and about five to six petals. Durian is round although the oblong shape is not irregular. The shells are green or brown while its flesh is a luminous yellowish or reddish color.

The odor of the edible parts of durian is so penetrating; it spreads a long distance even without removing the shell. Some like the aroma of durian very much while some others highly despise its scent. Durian trees yield two harvests per year, but it may vary in keeping with the various climates, cultivars and places. Durian trees bear fruit after 4 -5 years and they take about three months to ripe. From a great variety of durian, only the Durio ziebethinus variety is marketed internationally.

a id="durianbenefits" name="durianbenefits">Benefits of Durian Fruit and Nutritional Value
Durian is rich in sugar. It is also rich in vitamin C, tryptophan, potassium, carbohydrates, fats as well as proteins. Health professionals frequently recommend it as an effective source for taking in raw fats. However, some point out that as the durian contains a high amount of fatty acids it is advised to limit its consumption. Malaysians use its leaves as well as roots to produce a decoction for fever. A research from University of Tsukuba reveals that durian fruit has significant powers to detoxify the body. Javanese people think that durian is a good aphrodisiac.

strong>How to Eat Durian Fruit
The durian fruit is quite large. Its size is not a great problem as ripe ones fall in time. They may slightly crack when falling. By inserting a knife or a fair sized cleaver to such a crack, it can be opened very easily. Within, are about five parts and in each one of these, several seeds can be seen covered with an aril identical to custard. When durian is eaten immediately on falling, the pungent smell is bearable and the taste is also favorable. Durian fruit can be mixed with many flavors to increase its taste. Its seed can also be eaten after it’s cooked.

>Information & Photo : tropical-fruits

Pineapple (Phuket)



Pineapple (Phuket)

There are four distinct varieties of pineapple grown in Thailand. Pattawia pineapple, a sweet and slightly sour succulent pineapple with soft lemon-yellow flesh, Sri-Ratcha, a sweet pale yellow fleshed variety, usually eaten fresh, Phuket pineapple, a crunchy pineapple with a delicate sweet taste. A pinch of salt is often rubbed into freshly cut pineapple to offset its bite, and a miniature variety Called Pulare, which is a hybrid of the Phuket Pineapple, crossed with a miniature variety called Nang Lare.

The Pattawia and Phuket pineapples flourish in the South in the provinces of Surat Thani and Hua Hin. A new variety of miniature Phuket pineapples are now grown at The Royal Project experimental agricultural stations in northern Thailand.Thailand is one of Southeast Asia's largest producer and exporter of pineapples in the form of canned pineapple and juice. Excess pineapple is also sun-dried, and processed into jams, chewy toffee and candy. As fragrant pineapple adds natural sweetness and contributes to the harmony of flavours that is the distinctive quality of Thai cuisine, it is commonly used as a flavouring or garnish in savoury dishes, for example, pineapple curries such as Kaeng Saparot, Saow Nam or Khao Ob Saparot - Rice Baked in Pineapple.

Nutritional value: High vitamin A and C, calcium and phosphorus.
The pineapple is native of Central America Christopher Columbus discovered it along with the West Indies) and it has been grown in Thailand for several centuries, especially in the sandy soil along the sea coasts. Indeed, so widespread has cultivation been in recent years that today the kingdom ranks as the world’s leading exporter of canned pineapple.

Preparation and eating
1. Use a knife to peel off the skin and uproot all the seedy sections.
2. Slice the fruit lengthways into 8-10 pieces.
3. Cut out the core.
4. Slice the elongated pieces crosswise into small pieces; and arrange them on the plate.

Nutritional value : High vitamin A and C, calcium and phosphorus
Fruiting season : April - June; and December - January
Uses : Eating fresh
Preserving in various forms, such as pineapple juice, canning ( in syrup ), paste, and dehydrating.
Storage : Keep the fresh fruit at room temperature (25-30 Celsius), they can be kept for 3-4 days.

Information & Photo : Simply-thai & Dekphuket

Rubber plantation

Rubber plantation

Hevea brasiliensis, the Pará rubber tree, often simply called rubber tree, is a tree belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae and the most economically important member of the genus Hevea. It is of major economic importance because its sap-like extract (known as latex) can be collected and is the primary source of natural rubber.

Rubber tree plantation
In the wilderness, the tree can reach a height of up to 144 feet (44 m). The white or yellow latex occurs in latex vessels in the bark, mostly outside the phloem. These vessels spiral up the tree in a right-handed helix which forms an angle of about 30 degrees with the horizontal, and can grow as high as 45 ft.
In plantations, the trees are kept smaller, up to 78 feet (24 m) tall, so as to use most of the available carbon dioxide for latex production.
The tree requires a climate with heavy rainfall and without frost. If frost does occur, the results can be disastrous for production. One frost can cause the rubber from an entire plantation to become brittle and break once it has been refined.

Harvest of latex
Once the trees are 5–6 years old, harvesting can begin: incisions are made orthogonally to the latex vessels, just deep enough to tap the vessels without harming the tree's growth, and the sap is collected in small buckets. This process is known as rubber tapping. Older trees yield more latex.

History
The Pará rubber tree initially grew only in the Amazon Rainforest. Increasing demand and the discovery of the vulcanization procedure in 1839 led to the rubber boom in that region, enriching the cities of Belém and Manaus. The name of the tree derives from Pará, the second largest Brazilian state, whose capital is Belém.
These trees were used to obtain rubber by the Olmec people of Mesoamerica as early as 3600 years ago. The rubber was used, among other things, to make the balls used in the Mesoamerican ballgame. There had been an attempt made, in 1873, to grow rubber outside Brazil. After some effort, twelve seedlings were germinated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. These were sent to India for cultivation, but died. A second attempt was then made, some 70,000 seeds being smuggled to Kew in 1875, by Henry Wickham, at the service of the British Empire. About 4% of these germinated, and in 1876 about 2000 seedlings were sent, in Wardian cases, to Ceylon, and 22 sent to the Botanic Gardens in Singapore. Once established outside its native country, rubber was extensively propagated in the British colonies. Rubber trees were brought to the botanical gardens at Buitenzorg, Java in 1883. By 1898, a rubber plantation had been established in Malaya, and today most rubber tree plantations are in South and Southeast Asia and some also in tropical West Africa.
Efforts to cultivate the tree in South America (Amazon) were unsatisfactory, because of blight.

Environmental concerns
The toxicity of arsenic to insects, bacteria, and fungi has led to the heavy use of arsenic trioxide on rubber plantations, especially in Malaysia.

Information & Photo : Wikipedia & Britannica

Kerriodoxa elegans

Kerriodoxa elegans

Common Names: White Elephant Palm, King Thai Palm

Habitat: An understory palm of coastal rainforests. It is restricted to two localities on slopes in moist forest along the westcoast of middle peninsular Thailand from 100-300m elevation.

Description: A spectacularly attractive, medium sized unarmed fan palm (to about 5 m), with large (to 2 m across) dark green leaves, which are silvery white underneath.

General: This palm has only recently been introduced to cultivation, but is becoming very popular in the tropics and sub-tropics as a garden and container plant.

Because it is dioecious (requiring both male and female plants) the seed is often not available from cultivated plants. For this reason, it has been an expensive item, normally reserved for collectors.

Cultivation: Likes a shady, sheltered, warm, moist, well drained position, altho it is surprisingly hardy for a palm with such a tropical background, being able to withstand temperatures down to 1° C without any apparent ill effects.

Information & Photo : pacsoa & taklong