An interesting vegetable, petai should never be a 'no go'!1.Like asparagus, it contains certain amino acids that give a strong smell to ones urine, an effect that can be noticed up to two days after consumption. And like other beans, their complex carbohydrates can also cause strong-smelling flatulence.
2. When young the pods are flat because the seeds have not yet developed, and they hang like a bunch of slightly twisted ribbons, pale green, almost translucent.When dried the seeds turn black.
3. They are an acquired taste, but are popular in southern Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia and are sold in bunches, still in the pod, or the seeds are sold in plastic bags. They are exported in jars or cans, pickled in brine.
4. Like mature broad beans, they may have to be peeled before cooking.Before you cook the petai, make sure that you split the bean into two with a paring knife as there are prone to worms burrowing their way into the heart of the petai.
5. They are best when combined with other strong flavoured foods such as garlic, chili peppers, and dried shrimp, as in "sambal petai" or added to a curry.
Reference: Wikipedia, Permais, Asia Food, Lemniscate
