The pandan plant-all about it and how many people use it in cooking! By Keira Lin Ziying

Credits to Wikipedia

1) Some facts about the pandan tree!

The pandan trees’ scientific name is Pandanus amaryllifolius. They were first discovered in Maluku Islands in Indonesia. The plant does not have female flowers so far, so they reproduce through suckers or cuttings, which are parts of the pandan tree. The sighting of male flowers however has been recorded, however it is rather rare. The best soil to grow pandan trees is well-draining soil. Pandans also have to be under the sun for 6-8 hours for them to grow well.

2) How do humans use pandan leaves in food?

The leaves of the pandan is used to cook food! Known for its fragrant smell, the pandan leaves are often used to wrap food such as the traditional food Chinese people eat on special occasions, often known as zong zi. They can also remove scents that aren’t too pleasant, making the food smell much better. Some times people also boil the pandan leaves to create tea, which is relaxing to drink.

3) How do people use parts of the pandan trees to be healthier?

Pandans are a source of two key things, antioxidants and vitamins! These help us to possibly reduce blood pressure and relief pain. They also can relieve stress, so you can give it a try when you feel stressful! Some research studies also say that pandan leaves may be able to reduce poosssiblilities for cancer, but more research has to be done to confirm this. There are also some anti-inflammatory properties so there will be less inflammation of our body.

4) How are pandan baskets made?

To prepare the materials to make the bag, people first harvest pandan leaves using a special tool. Then, the leaves are cleaned and spikes are removed. After that, the leaves are boiled and softened. After boiling the leaves for several hours, they are dried in the sun and soon bleached to remove its natural colour. They may be dyed using colouring based on their choice.

To make the baskets, the weaver will often massage the leaves to ensure that they are easier to weave before using a method to weave them into baskets.

While this process is tedious and requires several days of work, after knowing that they have finished weaving something, everyone will feel a sense of accomplishment!

FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE

My yeye, often known as grandfather in Chinese, often makes kaya paste to eat with his bread. He buys pandan leaves, some eggs and some other items to make his kaya taste better! After several hours of boiling the mixture, the kaya is finally ready! The kaya tastes awesome with the bread, bringing out flavour, excellent for starting his day.