Description of a native oil press (chandasan) from North Borneo
This short note by H. G. Keith describes the construction and operation of a native oil press (chandasan) used in North Borneo for extracting oil from Katiau (Ilipe) and Kawang (Tengkawang) nuts, accompanied by a photographic plate (Plate XXV).
Summary
The text details the process of preparing the nut cotyledons for pressing: the cotyledons are pounded in a mortar (lesong), placed in a bottomless container with a woven bamboo screen (sadak), and steamed over boiling water for approximately one hour. The cooked cotyledons are then packed into a woven rotan or bamboo bag (kandol) and inserted between half-round timbers (gapit) in the press, where pressure is applied to extract the oil. The oil runs down a trough (chachurong) made of betel-nut palm leaf-sheath into a bamboo tube or metal bowl (p. 97).
Keith notes a key distinction between the two oils: Kawang (Tengkawang) oil hardens into a tallow-like substance on cooling and is therefore collected in bamboo tubes, while Katiau oil remains liquid and is bottled. Both oils are used by natives for cooking, and Kawang nuts are of considerable commercial value, being exported to England for use in the manufacture of chocolates and confections (p. 97).