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Lehya (), also referred to as Lekiyam () refers to a traditional Indian electuary or confection.


Classification

Classified as a product of
Siddha medicine Siddha medicine is a form of traditional medicine originating in southern India. It is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India. In rural India, have learned methods traditionally through master-disciple relationships to become loca ...
, lehyam is regarded to be a healthy body tonic, consumed to resolve digestive and respiratory problems, comprising ingredients that are easily absorbed by the body.


Ingredients and preparation

Lehyam is prepared using powdered medicine,
jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, an ...
, sugar, honey, in an aqueous medium of water.
Ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned fro ...
is often added as a preserving agent, and after preparation, the food may be rolled into small balls and left to harden within a vessel, edible for up to a year.


Variations and uses

Various forms of lehyam exist, and are named for their ingredients, and offer different properties. For instance, in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...
, ''inji lekiyam'', for which the salient ingredient is
ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of ...
, is offered to a new mother shortly after her delivery. ''Thaneervittan'' (asparagus) ''legiyam'' and ''sowbhagiyasundi'' (dry ginger powder) ''legiyam'' are used similarly. ''Nellikai lekiyam'', for which the salient ingredient is
gooseberry Gooseberry ( or (American and northern British) or (southern British)) is a common name for many species of ''Ribes'' (which also includes Ribes, currants), as well as a large number of plants of similar appearance. The berries of those in th ...
, is offered to children to boost their immunity. In South India, lehyam is often prepared and purchased on the occasion of
Deepavali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It i ...
to aid the digestion, and counteract the effects, of eating sweets during the festival. According to '' The Hindu'', Deepavali legiyam, or Deepavali marundhu, is popular in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...
, and made in many households at festival time. ''Ciṭṭukkuruvi lēkiyam'', prepared from sparrow meat, was once consumed for aphrodisiacal purposes.


See also

*
Traditional medicine of India Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repor ...


References

{{reflist Ayurveda Siddha medicine Diwali Traditional medicine in India