Brunei, one of the world’s smallest nations, once held claim over an area extending from Northern Borneo to the southern islands of the Philippines. Internal strife and European intervention weakened the empire. When independence from Great Britain was achieved in 1984, only two small enclaves in Northern Borneo remained.
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Salacca zalacca - The fruit of the salak palm grows in tightly packed clusters at the base of the plant and is known as snake fruit because of the scaly rind. The covering peels away to reveal an inner pulp consisting of three lobes resembling the shape of garlic cloves with a texture similar to the pulp of an apple, but having a sweet acidic taste. The salak palm is indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The tree’s long petioles, the stalks holding the leaves to the stems, are strong and flexible enough to be fashioned into fishing rods.
