''Garcinia indica'', a plant in the

mangosteen Mangosteen (''Garcinia mangostana''), also known as the purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to tropical lands surrounding the Indian Ocean. Its origin is uncertain due to widespread prehistoric cultivation. ...

family (Clusiaceae), commonly known as ''kokum'', is a fruit-bearing tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses. It primarily grows in the Western Ghats, especially the

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

and Konkan region.

Taxonomy

The genus ''

Garcinia ''Garcinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae native to Asia, America, Australia, tropical and southern Africa, and Polynesia. The number of species is disputed; Plants of the World Online (POWO) recognise up to 400. Common ...

'', belonging to the family Clusiaceae, includes about 200 species found in the Old World tropics, mostly in Asia and Africa. ''Garcinia indica'' is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

, monoecious

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

, which can grow up to 18 meters high, on maturity attaining a pyramid shape. The fruit, an orange-sized purple berry with fleshy

endocarp Fruit anatomy is the plant anatomy of the internal structure of fruit. Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Aggr ...

, contains five to eight seeds, which account for 20–23% of the fruit's weight. The kernels account for 61 percent of the weight of the seed and about 44% of its oil. The seeds are compressed and embedded in an acidic pulp.

Distribution

''Garcinia indica'' is indigenous to the tropical forest regions of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Of the 35 species found in India, 17 are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

. Of these, seven are endemic to the Western Ghats, six in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and four in the northeastern region of India. The kokum variety from the Ratnagiri and

Sindhudurg Sindhudurg Fort (Marathi pronunciation: in̪d̪ʱud̪uɾɡ is a historical fort that occupies an island in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in Western India. The fort was built by Shivaji Maharaj.The fortress lies on the sh ...

districts from the coastal

Konkan The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...

region of the state of Maharashtra in India has received the GI (

Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

) tag. ''Garcinia indica'' is found in forest lands, riversides and wastelands. These plants prefer

evergreen forest An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, Live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperate zo ...

s, 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.

Uses

Culinary uses

The outer cover of fruit is dried in the sun to get or . It is used as a souring agent typically in Maharashtra,

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. Kokum yields a peculiar flavour and deep-red colour. As a souring agent, it is used as an alternative to

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae ...

in curries and other dishes from south India. It is also used in cuisine from

, where it is frequently used to add flavor and tartness to

dal In Indian cuisine, ''dal'' (also spelled ''daal'' or ''dhal''; pronunciation: , Hindi: दाल, Urdu: ) are dried, split pulses (e.g., lentils, peas, and beans) that do not require soaking before cooking. India is the largest producer of pu ...

(lentil soup) for flavor balance. It is extensively used in Assamese cuisine in many dishes like ''masor tenga'' (sour fish curry) and ''tenga dali'' (sour dal). The fresh fruit is preserved with sugar to make bright-red

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

that is diluted with water and bottled for sale as a beverage called Kokum Sarbat. The extract of the fruit is called in Konkani and Marathi. It is added during the preparation of , which may also include coconut milk, coriander and garlic.

Industrial uses

The seed of ''Garcinia indica'' contains 23–26% Kokum butter, which remains solid at room temperature. It is used in the preparation of chocolate and sugar confectionery.

Medicinal and cosmetics applications

The oily extract called Kukum butter is used in ointments and suppositories. It has application in skin and hair products, acne products and skin tonics. The rind of the fruit is a good source of

hydroxycitric acid Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is a derivative of citric acid that is found in a variety of tropical plants including '' Garcinia cambogia'' and ''Hibiscus sabdariffa''. There are four isomers, (+)- and (-)-hydroxycitric acid, and (+)- and (-)-allo-hyd ...

which has been claimed to modify lipid metabolism.

Other uses

The tree is ornamental, with a dense canopy of green leaves and red-tinged, tender, young leaves.

Gallery

File:ಮುರುಗಲ ಹಣ್ಣು.jpg, Ripe Kokum fruit File:Kokam Fruit Recipe with Sugar Garcinia indica fruit.jpg, Fresh Kokum fruit filled with sugar in glass jar and kept under the sun to make kokum syrup for refreshments. File:Garcinia indica fruit.jpg, Kokum fruits being prepared to make syrup File:Garcinia indica red drink prepared from dried rinds.jpg, Kokum drink prepared from dried rinds File:Agsol (23977801001).jpg, Goan fish curry Agsol with dried kokum rinds for flavoring File:Solkadhi.jpg, Solkadhi made from coconut milk and kokum

References

External links

Plant database
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2095514 indica Spices Sour fruits Medicinal plants of Africa Medicinal plants of Asia Tropical fruit Flora of India (region) Indian spices Maharashtrian cuisine