Before cooking, the contents of the nuts are white in colour.
Good nuts after cooking, should be richly black and oily, with the contents variously described as "opium" or "soft tar".
The nuts come from the Pangium edule or "Kepayang" tree, which grows wild in Indonesia and parts of Malaysia.
 

Buah Keluak has another side which few people know, concerning its darker, lethal aspect. The crushed raw seeds can be used as a poison to kill fish, insects, animal ticks ...... or your favourite enemy, whichever suits your whim.
This is because the raw seeds contain a glucoside which readily yields prussic acid, which fortunately can be extracted simply by washing with water.
The dusty greyish seeds that you get at the market, are imported from Indonesia where they have already been treated to remove the poisonous effects by being thouroughly washed and boiled, then buried in the ground with layers of ash, banana leaves, and earth for 40 days.
However, to be safe, it is recommended that before cooking, you soak the buah keluak over-night in a bowl of water !!!

Recipe #3 Ayam/Babi Buah Keluak uses: Buah Keluak

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