Dengen, An Endemic Fruit in Sorowako, East Luwu

After telling about Buttini, a unique fish in my hometown. So now, here it is, a unique fruits in my hometown, East Luwu. I live in Wawondula, East Luwu. This fruit namely Dengen (Dillenia serata). This fruit is mostly found growing in East Luwu.

In Sorowako, the area where PT. Vale stands, this fruit is planted in Nursery Park, in a part of Mining Park of Sorowako (we’ll discuss this park in the next post). The color of this fruit is the same as orange. Interestingly, when it ripes, the fruit will open its own petals such like a flower blooms its petals. Even so, it should be known that it is opened by itself and we have to know that the taste is very sour. However, when it is very riped, it will be sweet. When it still unripes, the color is a light green, but when it is already, the color turns orange.

I still remember when I used to be in elementary school, each time after studying and it was the season for Dengen. My friends and I would go to my friend’s house, her name is Agustina. I mostly went with Anne S. Redo to take Dengen and made rujak ( a kind of mix fruits with various taste but mostly spicy). Sometimes we took it much and brought it home, then my mom would use the Dengen as one ingredients in cooking fish (to replace tamarind), or even added it a little to vegetable in order to make the taste to be fresher.

Regarding to the taste, the local chefs today in Sorowako and around East Luwu have tried to change and mix it to be juice by adding a little palm sugar, then the taste will be fresh. Besides, Dengen, there is also a fruit, a very small fruit and Paken which are very special in my hometown. It will be posted in the next posts. So, see you soon.

Posted by miasastra

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