Maripa, an important palm specie for Maroon communities in

Suriname

Maripa is a palm specie that grow despite in the primary forest, but is an specie that develop
fast in secondary forest. This secondary forest is typical vegetation in the fallow that occurs in
the area that is abandon after a cycle of cultivation. It produces the first fruits after 5-7 years
and has life cycle of 20-25 years. From February till July maripa is harvest. The maripa fruit is
large and brown or yellow with 2 or 3 seeds. The maripa seeds can be used to produce maripa
oil. Maripa oil is very important for the maroon communities in Suriname.

The maripa is use as follow:

1. The leaves are used for huts
2. The fruit is a very fresh fruit
3. The maripa seeds are processed to maripa oil
4. “ maripaboto” is used as
5. The seeds can be used as souvenir

Now I will explain how maripa oil is produce in Suriname bij the maroon.
1. The fruits are gathered , fresh for are eaten and the seed are stock.
2. The fruits are placed for 2-3 weeks, sometimes longer. Depends on the daily activities, at
a rack above were they cook meals, water and herbs daily.
3. The dried fruit are crushed manually. In the interior of Suriname the maroons use a
massive metal object and bricks, but the seeds can also be crushed with an hammer-
shell. This is one of the most labuorisch part of the process. The maripa seeds are stoved
in closed barrels and buckets. Sometimes “ caterpillar” are in the seed. The maroon call
it “ zombi”. This “zombie” can be fried and eaten. The resocorp is sometimes use as
energie for chlor production.
4. The seeds are “frit”, after its been cooled down. The seeds will be mashed in a “nata
nata”.
5. The mashed seeds will be cooked and so oil will separate from water.
6. Maripa oil is produced

The use of maripa oil

1. The oil can be used as consumption oil, most people prefer this oil above soy oil,
because the maripa oil gives the food a very sweet taste.
2. The oil can also be used as
3. The oil can also be used for the production of soap
4. Also can it be used for biofuels production

Biofuel is fuel made of

The process how to make soap

Soap s a combination
Last year during my therminal project I had to make biofuel out of kokonut oil an soap
combinations of maripa- an kokonut oil.
Now I will show u some pictures how maripa oil is made in the interior of Suriname and how I
made it. I will also show u pictures of biofuels and combination soaps.
 Maripa
Main points:
 What kind of fruit is maripa
 The use of maripa
 The process how to make maripa oil
 The use of maripa oil
 The process how to make soap