You say 'apokat', I say 'alpuket': The versatile fruit

You say 'apokat', I say 'alpuket': The versatile fruit

Suryatini N. Ganie, Contributor, Jakarta

While discussing why our rather low and leafy avocado tree did
not bloom, the gardener commented that years ago he had suggested
to me to plant a male tree next to the existing tree. A male
tree?

The cook joined us and showed me two pits. One was round --
"From the avocado you ate yesterday", she said, "it is a female
pit. And the other one is pointed. So it is male."

The gardener continued that avocado trees have to be planted
in pairs. How do you know our tree is female?

"Because it is rather low and leafy," he said.

Not understanding the gender problems of avocados, I let him
plant the pointed pit. He refused and said that a friend who had
many avocado trees would give him a 50-centimeter-tall male tree.

So now, the wait is for Mr. and Mrs. Avocado's offspring.

For some people in the hospitality industry here, the avocado
is a famous fruit.

Once upon a time, a clever businessman added a heap of scraped
avocado to a mixed fruit drink full of cubed ripe jackfruit,
scraped young coconut flesh, with some iced water and a dark pink
syrup, crushed ice cubes and finally, on top of it all, a
generous pouring of sweet condensed milk. He named the creation
es teler.

Though teler mainly means "dog-tired" and "plastered", as
occurs after consuming some forbidden drugs, the man did not
become teler. Instead, he made millions of rupiah as his high-
calorie drink became a favorite after-school beverage among
children -- who did not care about the calories they consumed
daily.

Es teler even went to Malaysia and Singapore and in upmarket
establishments with a sophisticated presentation.

Ever tried an es teler? It is taboo for weight watchers
because avocados have 6.5 grams of fat per 100 grams edible
fruit, in addition to vitamins B1 and C and minerals like iron.

Avocados for es teler and other species grow throughout
Indonesia and several regions in Java: the main producers of
avocados are the regions of Lembang and Subang in West Java and
Malang in East Java. The best pear-shaped avocados, however, grow
in Pasar Minggu, a South Jakarta suburb that was known previously
as the domain of fruit farmers.

In Sumatra, Aceh and Tapanuli have very good avocados too, but
the color of the fruit varies. Whereas avocados in Java are
mostly a shiny green, Sumatra avocados are dark green or slightly
aubergine, while both types grow on the islands of eastern
Indonesia.

Locally, avocados are mostly eaten in a sweet dish, and North
Jakartans have also created an avocado fruit.

A classic avocado drink is a glass of mashed avocados with 1
tablespoon of strong coffee extract -- made by boiling finely
ground coffee beans in water and then filtering it. Add sugar to
your liking and crushed ice cubes. The name? Apokat kopi (coffee
avocado).

Apokat is the official name in Bahasa Indonesia. What about
regional names?

In West Java, ask for alpuket or alpukat; in Central and East
Java, alpokat; in North Sumatra buah pokat or jambu pokat; and in
many other provinces they are jambu mentega (butter apple), jambu
puan (coconut apple) or pukat.

Avocado trees are very sensitive to weather changes, and the
flowering process is quicker on hot, sunny days and slower when
the weather is cloudy and cool.

The fruit also has medicinal properties, and can be used to
treat a sluggish liver, while in West Java, its leaves are
traditionally brewed in water to destroy small kidney stones.

By the way, the avocado is an introduced species and hails
originally from Mexico, where the Aztec fruit was enjoyed by
Columbus and was brought by those sailing the Seven Seas to
Indonesia.

A local dip with Mexican overtones is guacamole ala Jakarta,
seasoned with a bitingly hot, local chili pepper. The dip makes a
perfect cocktail snack with fried cassava chips.