Red Fruit

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Pandanus conoideus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Pandanales Family: Pandanaceae Genus: Pandanus Species: P. Conoideus
Binomial name
Pandanus conoideus Lam.

Red Fruit (Pandanus conoideus) is a traditional fruit from Papua, Indonesia. Papuans call them kuansu. Indonesians call them buah merah ("red fruit"). The fruit is typically prepared by splitting it, wrapping it in leaves, and cooking it in an earth oven.[1]

It grows in all Papua regions, especially in Jayawijaya mountain area (Wamena and Tolikara), Jayapura, Manokwari, Nabire, Timika, and Ayamaru Sorong. It is traditionally believed to be a good supplement as a skin and eye medicine, and as worm treatment.

There are around 30 cultivars of Red Fruit. But only four variants have high economy values among others such as merah panjang (long red), merah pendek (short red), cokelat (brown), and kuning (yellow). Red Fruit variants that is used as medicine is of merah panjang (long red). The size is around 100 cm in length, 18 cm in diameter length, and 7.5 kg in weight. The fruit has blunt edge and cylindrical shape.

Fruits of pandanus family have specific characteristics that distinguish them from other fruits such as their very concentrated red color, indicating that the fruits are rich in beta carotene.

Some claim that Red Fruit is a retro-viral drug against AIDS. [2] [3] To date, there has been no evidence to back up this claim.