Parkia timoriana is the tree bean of north-east India, known in Manipur as yongchak. Its long, dark green pods are a prized seasonal vegetable, sliced fine into the Manipuri salad singju or cooked into eromba. It is a tall forest tree, and its pods are one of the region’s most distinctive foods.
- Botanical name
- Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Parkia
- Hindi
- Yongchak
- Parts used
- Young pod, Seed (after a cook)
- Habit
- Northeast tree bean; avenue Parkia is another species
- Last updated
- 2026-10-25
How to recognise Tree bean
It is a tall tree, up to about thirty metres, with a spreading crown of very finely divided, feathery leaves.
Flowers come in dense, club-shaped heads hanging on long stalks, cream to orange-brown, opening at night for bats.
The pods are long, flat and twisted, up to half a metre, green when young and dark when ripe, hanging in bunches from the old flower head. Young pods smell strongly, a smell many people love.
The badminton-ball tree of South Indian avenues, Parkia biglandulosa, has similar flowers but pods that are not eaten.
Traditional use of Tree bean
Manipuri cuisine
Young pods are scraped and sliced paper-thin for singju, or cooked with fermented fish in eromba. Mature seeds are also cooked.
Manipur and north-east food practice
Market crop
Pods are sold by the bundle in markets such as Imphal’s Ima Keithel during the season, and good trees are valuable household assets.
Manipur trade
Modern notes on Tree bean
Nutrition studies describe the pods as a good source of protein, fibre and minerals, comparable to other legume vegetables.
Like its relative stink bean, Parkia speciosa, it has sulphur-containing compounds that explain the strong smell.
Tree bean safety
Eat it as local cooks do. As with any legume, mature seeds should be cooked.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows wild and planted in the forests and homesteads of north-east India, Myanmar and Southeast Asia.
Fruit bats pollinate the flowers, so healthy bat populations are part of a good pod crop.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Tree bean
Is Tree bean the badminton-ball tree?
No. That avenue tree is Parkia biglandulosa.
What older names does Parkia timoriana go by?
Parkia roxburghii.
How is Tree bean eaten?
Young pods are sliced thin for singju or cooked in eromba and curries.
Sources
- Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q13560260 (Parkia timoriana)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.