Kokum
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Garcinia indica ಪುನಾರ್ ಪುಳಿ |
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| Kokum fruits, seeds, pulp and rinds.jpg | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Clusiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Clusioideae |
| Tribe: | Garcinieae |
| Genus: | Garcinia |
| Species: | G. indica |
| Binomial name | |
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Garcinia indica Choisy |
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Garcinia indica, a plant in the mangosteen family (Clusiaceae), commonly known as kokum, is a fruit-bearing tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses.
The genus Garcinia, belonging to the family Clusiaceae, includes about 200 species found in the Old World tropics, mostly in Asia and Africa. Garcinia indica is indigenous to the Western Ghats region of India located along the western coast of the country. Of the 35 species found in India, 17 are endemic. Of these, seven are endemic to the Western Ghats, six in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and four in the northeastern region of India.
Garcinia indica is found in forest lands, riversides and wastelands. These plants prefer evergreen forests, but sometimes they also thrive in areas with relatively low rainfall. It is also cultivated on a small scale. It does not require irrigation, spraying of pesticides or fertilizers.
The fresh fruit is preserved with sugar to make a bright-red squash that is bottled for sale. The syrup is diluted with water to make a refreshing drink.
The outer cover of fruit is dried in the sun to get aamsul or kokam. It is also known as bhirand in Konkani and punarpuli/muragalu in Kannada. It is used as a staple souring agent typically in Goan cuisine and some parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Kokum yields a peculiar flavour and blackish red colour. As a souring agent, it is used as an alternative to tamarind in curries and other dishes from the Goa and Konkan region. It is also used in cuisine from Gujarat, where it is frequently used to add flavor and tartness to dal (lentil soup) for flavor balance, and parts of South India.It is extensively used in Assamese cuisine in many dishes like " masor tenga " or sour fish curry and " tenga dali " or sour dal. It is also used as a cure for upset stomach and colds. A few dry pieces are soaked in water for some time and then the pieces are mashed in the water itself and can be taken in whole.
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Wikipedia