Paha Paha

1. This is a type of leave that grow from a bunch of tree called Paha Paha around my house. Obviously for me and most Brunei tribe of people in Labuan ( or can i say all labuanite) know about this leaves. It was classified as vegetables by most people who knew about it. Still, it does not look like one and the tree look like hibiscus tree and can grow up to 4 metres tall. Only the young leaves is edible.

2. It does look like a normal type of leaves but beware, it was a delicacy. Its taste superior to other vegetables you ever eat. It is sweet and have this king of natural MSG inside it. Just boil it with anything or stir fry it with nothing else, you will taste the most delicious vegetable ever in your life.

3. It was not so rare and it grow almost anywhere. But as it seem that people never realize that this leaves is edible that is why not many people have the chance to taste this leave. Once there was a restaurant in Labuan who specially bring this leaves into their menu. But, i guess now as this leaves rarely sold in the market ( lot of vegetables in Labuan imported from Sabah and Labuanite themselves too lazy to get inside the forest near their house to look for this tree). Now, if you want to taste this leaves, you need to be friend with a labuanite whom their mother know about this leave and know how to cook it.

4. Fortunately, there are plenty of this tree growing around my house so that every evening we would go and pick it for dinner. It was so delicious i told you. Sweet and crunchy at the same time. Some people confused this leaves with 'cangkuk manis' or 'pucuk kayu manis'. It is totally different. The tree is not edible itselg like kayu manis or cinnamon, and if you eat the old leaves from this Peha Peha tree, it taste bitter and horrible. The young one, sweet as candy.

5. I am thinking that not many young generations knew about this leave. I am fortunate to be the one who know it. So i make this post to make sure that somehow, people will know about it and maybe know the scientific name for it so we can search it in the internet further to know the details and properties of this leaves.

6. For now, i did not know the scientific name for it. I will stick to its traditional brunei name - Peha Peha @ paha-paha. Peha means thigh. I do not know why they called it 'thigh', my assumption is that a women is trying to reach for the 'pucuk' or the young leaves on the top of the tree and maybe because it is too high, so exposing her thigh or whatsoever so people start calling it Peha-Peha. haha. Not a very good legend story made by me.