Fruit of the Week: Dahendi

Name: Dahendi/Djengkol Bean

Brand: 

Place of Purchase: UniMart Asian Market in Ames, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: Thailand

Price in Iowa: $

Description: Yellow lozenge-shaped beans

Flavor: Salty, savory, meaty, slightly sweet

Aroma: Stale, fermented, brine, bean.

Texture/Mouth-feel: Meaty and very fibrous.

Notes: I'm not sure how to eat this nut/bean exactly.  I know that it's used as an aromatic addition to many South-Eastern Asian sauces.  My mother-in-law uses it in a dipping sauce that is way too potent for me.  Still, I took a bite of this pickled bean and chewed it.  The fibers would have to be removed in order to really enjoy this nut, which lends to the idea that it's more of a flavoring or a thickening agent.  The flavor was unique.  It was bitter, but less bitter than it would have been without the brine.  There was also a unique savory flavor, which was probably djenkolic acid.  Djenkolic acid is a non-proteinaceous amino acid found in the bean.  It has a unique flavor, and an intoxicating effect (similar to, but not as potent as the betel nut).  It is also very toxic and can lead to kidney and urinary tract disease.  

As interesting as the experience was, I think that I'll hand these beans off to my mother-in-law.  I'm not going to be snacking on these poisonous beans anytime soon.