It was the time we learned how to sing the song......
Here we go round the mulberry tree
the mulberry tree the mulberry tree
Here we go round the mulberry tree
So early in the morning.....
these days mulberries are indeed real and edible...not just a part of our singing lessons.
We can make a lovely tea out of the leaves which have often been said to cure fever cold and cough. At the moment my friend has dried some of the leaves for me and I am drinking the freshly dried mulberry tea !!
The berries are often used to make jams and jellies. Some enterprising ladies have even tried to ferment these fruits and turn them into a certain kind of "tuak" or alcohol. I have tried any yet.
...and the fruits are just so nice to munch...and best of all we can grow them in our own gardens in Sarawak!!
Here are some nice photos to convince you...these few trees are growing in my friend's grandmother's garden....She does have green fingers.....
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| ripe mulberries...right for picking. |
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| More lovely mulberries.... |
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| Young mulberries... These days many health conscious people are growing lots of mulberries...and please be advised that it is very easy to grow them. Do not be cheated like me.. Just get a few cuttings from friends and they will grow in no time. .I paid RM25 for my first plant....some grandmother (wicked enterpreneur?) sold me a growing plant...never mind. I now consider it my donation to the old ladyi!! Any way bless her heart too because she got me interested in the marvellous berry. p/s some kinds of mulberry trees grown in China and Vietnam are used to feed silkworms. I wonder if these local mulberry leaves can feed some Sarawak silkworms. Besides the bark I heard was used by some of our ancestors for weaving. Very much like our Sarawak takalong bark which can even be made into jackets and belts. More mulberry trees for Sarawak!! |
14 comments:
Hi Sarawakiana, very nice. I sure am surprised you have these growing where you are.
Here we have all kinds of berries, and when at forests....have to watch out for black bears....they eat berries and not keen sharing with humans.
If it attacks, bears can outrun, out swim, out climb humans....so play dead.
Behave like just got shot by Clint Eastwood.....remain still....even though feel ticklish while bear sniffs check whether you fooling him.
Move and its game over! No more berries.
Have a nice day.
Lee.
I think I tasted them before.Are they the so-called 'Ribena' fruits?
Dear Uncle Lee...thanks for the interesting tip!! But I think I would die of fright before I can pick up a foot to run for my life!! no chance for the bear to tickle me....LOL.
I am the type who freeze when frightened.....and do not run for life!!
But I won't know if I finally do meet a bear...
Charles..these are berries. Ribena is different.
I need some help...do you know anyone in Seria to show me the remnants of the wooden railways?
And I need to have some contact to plan a visit to the Indian temple. thanks.
I will ask my Mum and uncle. By the way, my uncle is David Teo. He is a lawyer in Kuala Belait. Not so sure if you know him or not.
Dear Charles..what a small world...yes of course...he is a great guy!! Is your mum living in Seria? Would like to go there on Saturday for some photography work and would be nice to take photos of the remnants of the old railway...thanks.
Hi！When I was working for BSP a long time ago，I had travelled down the old Badas light rail to inspect the pump repair work at the pumping station by Sungei Belait. A BSP worker may show you where it is though the rail might have fallen to dis-repair or been abandoned. Even then it was hard for any non Shell employee to locate the rail ‘station'...adelaide reader
Hi Adelaide Reader
Thank you for your tips. I have asked several friends who are youngish in age and they all seem to have no idea at all. I hope the old remnants have not disappeared into the pages of history!! I will ask some BSP employees...thanks again.
My dad's house in Embang rd, opposite Mee Kee's house, one of the tenants grew quite a few. The wife was a Chinese sinseh. My Dad later also learn that this was a good herb for Heaty headache.
Ann..this morning my friends and I were discussing this topic..and she thinks that it is good for cooling too.
I have a small plant growing but my other friend makes the tea for me...she dries the leaves and cuts them up.
No need to dry, My sis Margaret remember's my dad's receipe for if you got "fire" in your head, boil this leaves with chinese white raddish and pork bones. The Fire" Heatiness will be gone.
Ann...thanks for the recipe...I have enough leaves from my young sapling to do this now..thanks...I have a lot of fire in my head!!!!!!!
i like this. pls can u give me some scientific information and literature documents on this mulberry plant pls. at yagnasx@gmail.com
Sangay..will try to email you...
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