Teak is a hard wood used in building and furniture making. It is produced mainly in Burma but is also grown in India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. In India, it has been in use for over two thousand years.
The most important property of teak is its extraordinary durability. In ancient times boats and bridges were built of this wood and in buildings as old as a thousand years, teak beams are still found to be in excellent condition.
The main cause of the durability of teak wood is that it is not eaten away by white ants. Wood serves as food for white ants, and, once they have made inroads, it quickly disintegrates. Yet, foes as they are of wood in general, they pose no threat to teak.
What is the property, which keeps teak safe from the danger of white ants? The answer is quite simple. Teak has a bitter taste, which is not to the liking of the white ant.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is an Islamic spiritual scholar who has authored over 200 books on Islam, spirituality, and peaceful coexistence in a multi-ethnic society.
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