Langkap
Arenga westerhoutii

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm with several stems. It grows 10 m high. The trunk is 40-60 cm across. The leaf stalks are 1-2 m long. The leaflets are regularly arranged along the stalk. They are 130 cm long and 10 cm wide. The flowering stalk is 3 m long.

There are 17-20 Arenga species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on slopes and hills in E Malaysia. In southern China it grows in lowland rain forests below 600 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The pith is sweet and is eaten in curries. The sap is used for wine. The palm cabbage is cooked and eaten. The seeds are used to make a sweet desert. CAUTION: The fruit is poisonous.

It is sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Pith, cabbage, palm heart, seed

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

La-ka, Langkab, Lengkap, Nao, Rangkap, Rang khai, Ta, Taak, Taha, Tao

Synonyms

Arenga obtusifolia Hook.f. not of Martius; Saguerus westhoutii (Griff.) H. Wendl. & Drude;