Gebang (Corypha utan Lamk) Tree as A Food Resource for Timorese People

Abstract

Gebang (Corypha utan Lamk.) has been using by Timorese people as one of the food buffers crops, especially during the food shortage period due to drought and other extreme conditions. Gebang tree is one of food buffering resource for people in Timor Island. One mature tree can result 281 kg dry starch or about 280 liters sap because both utilizations will cause the death to the tree. The sugar content in the sap is enough to be used to form sugar palm. The starch from gebang is almost similar with that resulted from sagu tree, with proportion of amylose and amylopectin are 24.44% and 75.56%, and temperature of gelatinization of 80.55oC.