Salak scientifically known as Salacca zalacca is a species of palm tree (family Arecaceae) native to Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. It is cultivated in other regions as a food crop, and reportedly naturalized in Bali, Lombok, Timor, Malaysia, Maluku and Sulawesi. The fruits grow in clusters at the base of the palm, and are also known as snake fruit due to the reddish-brown scaly skin. The fruit inside consists of three lobes with the two larger ones, or even all three, containing a large inedible seed. The lobes resemble, and have the consistency of, large peeled garlic cloves. Salak fruits mature five to seven months after pollination. The tree produces fruits all year round but usually peak around May and December in Indonesia. Harvesting takes place at a fruit age of 5-7 months. Fruits are recommended to be harvested before they are fully ripe, by severing the bunch using a reaping knife.
| Name | Salak |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Salacca zalacca |
| Native | Native to South Sumatra and southwest Java. |
| Common/English Name | Edible-Fruited Salak Palm, Edible Salacca, Salak, Salak Palm, Snake Fruit, Snake Palm, Snake- Skinned Fruit. |
| Name in Other Languages | Brazil: Fruta Cobra Thai: Sala Burmese: Yingan Malaysia: Salak Danish: Salak Portuguese: Fruta Cobra (Brazil) Dutch: Salak Sundanese: Salak Finnish: Salaki Swedish: Salak German: Salakpalme Lithuanian: Valgomoji salakpalmė Indonesia: Salak Spanish: Salaca Japanese: Sarakka Yashi Russian: Салак Javanese: Salak Polish: Oszpilna jadalna Chinese: Ke Shi Sa La Ka Zong French: Palmier Salak Komi: Салак |
| Plant Growth Habit | An evergreen, acaulescent, very spiny, tillering, usually dioecious palm |
| Growing Climate | Thrives under humid tropical lowland conditions. Salak is usually grown under partial shade as it grows and performs better than in full sun. |
| Soil | Cultivated on mineral soils such as well-drained clayey loams, sandy loams and lateritic soils. |
| Root | Superficial, not deep |
| Stem | Subterranean stolons, with a short, 1–2 m high, 10–15 cm diameter, erect aerial part bearing the leaves. |
| Leaf | Pinnatipartite, 3–6 m long. Leaves, leaf-sheaths, petioles and leaflets have numerous long, thin, blackish spines. Petioles are very spiny and 2 m long. Leaflet segments are unequal, linear-lanceolate, with narrowed base, concave, apex caudate and acute, 20–70 cm by 2–7.5 cm. |
| Flower | Paired in axils of scales; male flowers with reddish, tubular corolla and 6 stamens borne on the corolla throat and a tiny pistillode; female flowers with tubular corolla, yellow-green outside and dark red inside, a trilocular ovary with short 3-fid, red style and 6 staminodes borne on the corolla throat. |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Sub globose to ellipsoid drupe, 15–40 per spadix, measuring 5–7 cm by 5 cm, tapering towards base and rounded at the top. |
| Fruit Color | Numerous brown to orangey-brown, yellow, united, imbricate scales |
| Fruit Skin | Dark brown skin |
| Flesh Color | White |
| Taste | Sweet and slightly acidic |
| Seed | Blackish-brown and trigonous with 2 flat surfaces and a curved one; endosperm white and homogeneous. |
| Varieties/Types |
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| Major Nutrition | Iron, Fe 3.9 mg (48.75%) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.2 mg (15.38%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 8.4 mg (9.33%) Carbohydrate 12.1 g (9.31%) Calcium, Ca 38 mg (3.80%) Phosphorus, P 18 mg (2.57%) Protein 0.8 g (1.60%) Total Fat (lipid) 0.4 g (1.14%) Total dietary Fiber 0.3 g (0.79%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in (100 gm) | 368 K cal |