Kantam Berry | Berry with the taste of sweet and sour
Today my blog is about a berry that is sour when raw and sweet when it is
ripe. It is found in the hills and is identified as Kantam (Karonda
berry). Kantam berry is a tiny purple-colored fruit and has a white sticky
substance that oozes once plucked and is commonly found in the Konkan region.
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| Photo by Wilvia Dsouza; Ripe and unripe Kantam Berry in One Frame |
In
India, many households use them to prepare pickles when they are ripe. Moreover,
I have heard that during the time of my grandparents when there was a scarcity of
food, people wandered around the forest and hills and consumed these kinds of
berries to satisfy their hunger. Even in the childhood memories of my parents, this
particular berry is always highlighted.
Kantam
are the rarest berries that grow from March to May. This plant and
its berry are used in Ayurveda for diet as well as medicine. It is rich in iron
content and vitamin C and is even acts as an antioxidant to fight cancer. The botanical name of Kantam is Carissa Spinarum L. Mundas, a tribe in
Chotanagpur, Jharkhand, uses the plant and its berries pooled with some other
medicinal plant roots for treating rheumatism (a medical condition that causes
stiffness and pain in the joints or muscles of the body).
Photo by Wilvia Dsouza; Wild Berry: Kantam Berry
Kantam
is sold in local markets and is the famous berry sized fruit in Goa. They are also found in other parts of Asia and even in Afghanistan.
Many wild fruits poisonous. But there are fruits like Kantam which have high medicinal value. For those of you who need to taste some, summer is the best time. Explore the coastal wild forests and you will find them aplenty.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dsouza, H., Dsouza, H., Uday, Uday,
@foodmyfriend, C., Raji, … Choc Chip Uru. (2019, November 13). Kantam - Karonda
berry. Retrieved from https://www.masalaherb.com/kantam-karonda-berry/
GoaHolidayHomes.com. (n.d.). Wild Fruits
& berries in Goa, Information on Goan seasonal fruits, About the local
fruits & berries found in Goa. Retrieved from https://www.goaholidayhomes.com/information/wild-fruits--berries-in-goa.html
7
Indian Wonder Berries And Their Health Benefits You Don't Want to Miss. (2018,
June 28). Retrieved from https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/8-indian-wonder-berries-their-health-benefits-you-dont-want-to-miss-1682678
Wild Fruits of Uttarakhand (India):
Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Uses. (2017, August 9). Retrieved from https://medcraveonline.com/IJCAM/wild-fruits-of-uttarakhand-india-ethnobotanical-and-medicinal-uses.html
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