Asam gelugur, with its scientific name Garcinia atroviridis, is a plant species native to Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and India. It is a perennial plant with drooping branches, smooth grey bark and grows up to 20 m in height. The fruits are consumed raw or added to various dishes, soups, and curries. The color of the fruit ranges from yellow to orange. Garcinia atroviridis is also known as Asam gelugor, Gelugor, Asam gelugo and Som-Khaek. It belongs to the family Clusiaceae (alt.Guttiferae). Typically the fruit weighs between 300-500 g.
Asam Telugu Quick Facts
Name:
Asam gelugur
Scientific Name:
Garcinia atroviridis
Origin
Native to Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and India. It is widely cultivated in Myanmar and Southern Thailand.
Colors
Yellow-orange (Fruit)
Shapes
Round; Diameter: 7-10 cm (Fruit)
Flesh colors
Yellow, sour, firm
Taste
Sour
Health benefits
Source of antioxidants, Prevent tumor, Weight loss supplement
GARCINIA ATROVIRIDIS FACTS
Though it is usually known as tamarind skin or sliced tamarind, it is not tamarind. The tree of Asam gelugur is woody that reaches upto 20 meters in height. The reproduction takes place through grafting and seeds. Fruits are usually green while young and turn to bright orange when got ripened. The fruit has a sour taste so it is not consumed raw.
Name
Asam gelugur
Scientific Name
Garcinia atroviridis
Native
Native to Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and India. It is widely cultivated in Myanmar and Southern Thailand. It is a tropical species that appear as individual trees in humid and mixed lowland forest on plains and 600 m in highlands of high rainfall areas in Southeast Asia.
Common/English Name
Asam gelugor, Gelugor, Asam gelugo, Som-Khaek
Name in Other Languages
Indonesia: Asam Potong; Malaysia:- Semang: Boh No, Malay: Asa Keping ; Thailand:- Malay: A Sa Ka Lu Ko, Thai: Som-Khaek
Plant Size
Height: 20 m
Lifespan
Perennial
Bark
Smooth grey
Branches
Drooping
Leaf
Dark green, shiny, elliptic or oblong, narrow with pointed tip & upturned edges; up to 20(-30) cm x 6(-7.5) cm
Flower
Dark red; Width: 4-5 cm
Fruit shape & size
Round; Diameter: 7-10 cm.
Fruit weight
300-500 g
Fruit color
Yellow-orange
Flesh color
Yellow, sour, firm
Fruit stalk
Length: 3-4 cm
Fruit skin
Smooth, thin
Fruit Taste
Sour
Seed
Several, flattened; Length: 1.5 cm
Health Benefits
Source of antioxidants
Prevent tumor
Weight loss supplement
Traditional uses
It is helps to reduce weight and excess fat.
The leaf decoction treats earache.
The plant is used to treat acne.
The decoction enhances blood circulation, lowers cholesterol, and treats high blood pressure.
Dried fruits improve blood circulation and cure coughs.
The fruit extract lowers the level of cholesterol and enlarges the blood vessels.
Precautions
Do not consume in excess amounts.
Allergic to Asam gelugur should stay away from it.
How to Eat
Dried fruits are used in curries and are also stewed in sugar.
The fruit gives acidity to cooked dishes.
The fruits are used in curries and sour relish.
The dried rind is used in herbal health teas.
It is available as Som-khaek tea, Som-khaek capsules, and Som-khaek fruit.
Young leafy shoots and leaves are consumed fresh.
It is cooked as ulam or as sour relish.
It is also used as an ingredient in soup and curries.
Asam gelugur Scientific Classification
Scientific Name: Garcinia atroviridis
Rank
Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom
Plantae (Plants)
Phylum
Spermatophyta
Subphylum
Angiospermae
Order
Theales
Family
Clusiaceae
Genus
Garcinia
Species
Garcinia atroviridis
Class
Dicotyledonae
Traditionally, it is used to treat various health ailments such as earache, coughs, enhance blood circulation, acne, lower cholesterol and treat high blood pressure. Young leafy shoots, leaves, and fruits are edible. The fruits are dried for later use or also used as an ingredient in various dishes. Due to the sour taste of fruits, it is not usually consumed raw.
History
Though Asam Telugu is inherent to Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and India, it is widely cultivated in Myanmar and Southern Thailand. It is a tropical species that appear as individual trees in humid and mixed lowland forests on plains and 600 m in highlands of high rainfall areas in Southeast Asia.
Plant
Asam Telugu is a plant having a perennial lifecycle and usually grows up to 20 m tall. The plant bears dark red flowers which is 4-5 cm wide. The fruits are round which borne singly on twig ends. The fruits are heavy, longitudinally grooved by 12-16, and flattened at apex having a 7-10 cm as a diameter. The flesh inside the fruit is yellow with a firm texture and sour taste. The skin of the fruit is smooth and thin. The pulp possesses several flattened seeds of 1.5 cm long. The shiny dark green leaves are elliptic or oblong, narrow with pointed tip & upturned edges which is up to 20(-30) cm x 6(-7.5) cm in size.
Health Benefits of Asam gelugur
Besides its sour taste, it possesses antioxidant properties and various beneficial flavonoids. It is used as a laxative and expectorant. It helps to absorb the excess fat. The study shows that the extracts possess anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, antiulcerogenic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activities. It is mostly used for its health and economic benefits. It is also widely popular for culinary purposes.
Source of antioxidants
Fruit extracts of G. parvifolia displayed a natural source of antioxidants as well as acetylcholinesterase inhibitor representative with an adequate amount of flavonoid and phenolic content. The use of this fruit provides various health benefits to the public because it acquires various antioxidant as well as anticholinesterase properties. It could be used as an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. (1)
Prevent tumo
The ester derivatives of Garcinia acid such as 1′,1′′-dibutyl methyl hydroxycitrate, and 2-(butoxy-carbonyl methyl)-3-butoxy carbonyl-2-hydroxy-3-propanolide are found in the fruit of Garcinia atroviridis. The second compound has antitumor activity but both of the compounds are not yet poisonous adjacent to the cells and the brine ship is an antioxidant. The second compound, as well as the related structures, is considered a noncytotoxic chemopreventive agent. (2)
Weight loss supplement
RCTs show that the extracts of Garcinia show weight loss for a short period. The magnitude effect is still limited. The effect is not the mathematically important and scientific application is uncertain. Future trials must be more accurate, better reported, and lengthy. (3)
Traditional uses
In Thai medicine, it is used as an acidic fruit to reduce weight as well as excess fat.
The leaf decoction is traditionally used to treat earache.
The plant possesses anti-inflammatory properties and is also used to treat acne.
Traditionally, the decoction made from Asam Telugu is used to enhance blood circulation, lower cholesterol and treat high blood pressure.
Dried fruits are used to improve blood circulation and used as an expectorant for curing coughs.
The fruit extract is used to lower the level of cholesterol and enlarge the blood vessels.
Precautions
Do not consume in excess amounts.
Those who are allergic to Asam gelugur should stay away from it.
How to Eat
Dried ripe fruits are used in curries and also stewed in sugar and consumed.
This acid fruit gives acidity to the cooked dishes.
The fruits are used in curries and used as a sour relish.
The dried fruit slices are used to give acidity to cooked dishes.
The dried rind is used in herbal health teas.
It could be found in the form of Som-khaek tea, Som-khaek capsules, and Som-khaek fruit.
Young leafy shoots and leaves are consumed fresh.
In Malaysia, it is cooked as ulam or as sour relish.
It is usually used as an ingredient in soup and curries.
