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| Photo by Wilvia Dsouza; Garcinia indica |
- Endure the balance of the savory
Garcinia indica, kokum, or red mango is a fruit that has maroon hard skin on the exterior and seeds covered with white flesh... These fruits are traditionally used in tropical regions as they grow mostly on the western coast of India. |
| Photo by Wilvia Dsouza; Ripe raw Mangoe (Brinda) |
Brinda, Brindan, bhirand, panarpuli, amsool, etc. are the names given to this fruit. Most of our parents would prepare the drink panarpuli for guests or themselves, especially in summer. It tastes heavenly with a mix of sweet and sour tastes.
Kokum juice is heavily used in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and other places where there is too much heat as kokum is the cooling ingredient in both food and drinks.
Red mangoes have a very attractive look inside out. It can be eaten raw, or one can prepare juice, or it can be cooked. In Asia and Antarctica, there are almost 200 species of Garcinia Indica, the term mainly used for the tree. Chocolates, medicines, and cosmetics are prepared with the seeds of the fruit.
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| Photo by Wilvia Dsouza; Garcinia indica or Amsool |
When the fruits are dried completely, they are called kokum, which is used for culinary as well as medicinal purposes. Kokum is used mainly in fish curries or it is added in chutney and pickles.
Kokum and tamarind are similar in taste as well as looks; both are sticky, sweet, and sour. When this dried fruit is added to the food items, the dish turns into a pinkish-purple color.
There are lots of benefits to using this fruit. It’s used as a treatment for burns, skin allergies, insect bites, sun exposure, etc. Most importantly, it’s a refrigerant for our bodies that shields us from heating.
Watch this short video:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Padhye, S., Ahmad, A., Oswal, N., & Sarkar, F. H. (2009). Emerging role of Garcinol, the antioxidant chalcone from Garcinia indica Choisy and its synthetic analogs. Journal of Hematology & Oncology, 2(1), 38. doi: 10.1186/1756-8722-2-38
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