Ceylon gooseberry is a shrub or small, dioecious perennial tree growing to 4–6 m high with long, slender, arching, wide-spreading branches. The trunk and lower branches have sharp, 4 cm long spines. The fruit is an edible dark purple globose berry 2–3 cm diameter, very juicy with an acidic flavor, and containing several small seeds. The fruit is quite acidic, so it is usually not eaten fresh. The tree takes about 2-3 years to fruit. Its thin, bitter skin turns from somewhat orange to dark purple on ripening and is coated with short, grayish-green, velvety hairs, unpleasant in the mouth. The pulp is very juicy, extremely acid, and purple-red, enclosing 9 to 12 hairy seeds about 1/4 in (6 mm) long.
Ceylon gooseberry Quick Facts
Name:
Ceylon gooseberry
Scientific Name:
Dovyalis hebecarpa
Origin
Native to Sri Lanka and southern India
Colors
Green turning to orangey brown to maroon-purple
Shapes
Globose, berry up to 2.5 cm diameter, velvety pubescent
Flesh colors
Purple-red
Taste
Slightly sweeter, sour and astringent.
Calories
63 Kcal./cup
Major nutrients
Vitamin C (108.89%)
Total dietary Fiber (38.42%)
Vitamin B2 (30.77%)
Iron (15.00%)
Phosphorus (3.71%)
Dovyalis hebecarpa, with common names Ceylon gooseberry, ketembilla, and kitambilla, is a plant in the genus Dovyalis, native to Sri Lanka and southern India. The fruit is often eaten fresh or made into jam. Some cultivars have been selected for being thornless (making harvesting easier) and for larger fruit. Apart from Ceylon gooseberry, it is also known as Ketembilla, Kitembilla, kei apple, Puerto Rican cranberries, and tropical apricots. The tree takes about 2-3 years to fruit. Fruit is quite juicy, extremely acidic, and is mostly used for making preserves, jelly, jam, and juice.
CEYLON GOOSEBERRY FACTS
Name
Ceylon Gooseberry
Scientific Name
Dovyalis hebecarpa
Native
Native to Sri Lanka and southern India.
Common/English Name
Ceylon Gooseberry, Ketembilla, Kitembilla, kei apple, Puerto Rican cranberries, and tropical apricots
Name in Other Languages
Brazil : Groselha-Do-Ceilao Chinese : Xi-Lin-Cu, His-Lu-Ts’u-Li Cuba : Aberia French : Groseillier De Ceylan, Ketembillier German : Kaffernp flaume India : Kocu Vetti ( Tamil ) Spanish : Quetembilla Sri Lanka : Ketembilla, Kitaembilla, Kitembilla, Kithaembilla ( Sinhala ), Kocu Vetti ( Tamil ) Maori (Cook Islands): venevene
Plant Growth Habit
Shrub or small, dioecious perennial tree
Growing Climate
Does well in wet or semi dry areas but requires adequate supply of water during fruit development. It does not tolerate waterlogged conditions.
Soil
Thrives on any soil including limestone. In Florida, the tree grows well on sand or limestone, but a rich, friable soil is best for maximum fruit production.
Plant Size
4–6 m high
Branches
Long, slender, arching, wide-spreading branches.
Leaf
Alternate, simple, elliptic to ovate, 7–10 cm long, 2–3.5 cm wide, wavy-margined, gray-green, finely velvety, with pinkish, woolly petioles, and thin in texture
Flower
Flowers are inconspicuous, solitary, or clustered, with no petals. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, though some female plants are parthenogenetic. Greenish-yellow, apetalous, 1.25 cm across, and axillary.
Fruit Shape & Size
Globose, berry up to 2.5 cm diameter, velvety pubescent,
Fruit Color
Green turning to orangey brown to maroon-purple
Fruit Skin
Thin skin coated with short, grayish-green, velvety hairs, unpleasant in the mouth
Flesh Color
Purple-red
Flavor/Aroma
Acidic flavor
Taste
Slightly sweeter, sour, and astringent.
Seed
9 to 12 hairy seeds about 1/4 in (6 mm) long
Major Nutrition
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 98 mg (108.89%)
Total dietary Fiber 14.6 g (38.42%)
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.4 mg (30.77%)
Iron, Fe 1.2 mg (15.00%)
Phosphorus, P 26 mg (3.71%)
Protein 1.2 g (2.40%)
Total Fat (lipid) 0.8 g(2.29%)
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 0.3 mg (1.88%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 0.02 mg (1.67%)
Calcium, Ca 13 mg (1.30%)
Calories in (100 gm)
63 K cal
Ceylon Gooseberry Scientific Classification
Scientific Name: Dovyalis hebecarpa
Rank
Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom
Plantae (Plants)
Subkingdom
Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
Superdivision
Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
Division
Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Subclass
Dilleniidae
Order
Violales
Family
Flacourtiaceae (Flacourtia family)
Genus
Dovyalis E. Mey. ex Arn. (Ceylon gooseberry)
Synonyms
Aberia gardneri Clos
Aberia hebecarpa (Gardner) Kuntze
Rumea hebecarpa Gardner
Plant
Ceylon gooseberry is a shrub or small, dioecious perennial tree growing to 4–6 m high with long, slender, arching, wide-spreading branches. The trunk and lower branches have sharp, 4 cm long spines. Leaves are alternate, simple, and elliptic to ovate, 7–10 cm long, 2–3.5 cm wide, wavy-margined, gray-green, finely velvety, with pinkish, woolly petioles, and thin in texture. The flowers are inconspicuous, solitary, or clustered, with no petals. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, though some female plants are parthenogenetic. Flowers are greenish-yellow, apetalous, 1.25 cm across, and axillary.
Fruit
Ceylon gooseberry is globose, berry up to 2.5 cm diameter, velvety pubescent. Fruit is green when young turning to orangey brown to maroon-purple when mature. The fruit has thin bitter skin coated with short, grayish-green, velvety hairs, unpleasant in the mouth that encloses purple-red colored flesh. The fruit normally has an acidic flavor and is slightly sweeter also sour and astringent in taste. The pulp is very juicy, extremely acid, purple-red, enclosing 9–12 pubescent seeds about 6 mm long. Every fruit contains roughly 5-9 small hairy seeds. Since Ceylon gooseberry has an acidic flavor it is mostly used in making preserves, jelly, jam, and juice. Kitembilla fruit, which tastes similar to a gooseberry (they are sometimes called “Ceylon Gooseberry”), is often eaten fresh or made into jam. Some cultivars have been chosen for being thornless (making harvesting easier) and larger fruit.
History
Ceylon gooseberry is native to Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon. Doctor David Fairchild brought it to the United States around the turn of the 20th century, despite the fact that he didn’t care for the fruit’s flavor. From there it journeyed to Hawaii where it was proposed for use as a shrub in hedgerows and wound up becoming an important part of the island chain’s economy and cuisine. The Ceylon gooseberry is also grown in Puerto Rico, where it has become naturalized in the country’s landscape, as well as various parts of South America, South Africa, and India. It is also found in Israeli orchards. Today, the fruit grows in Israel, Florida, and Hawaii of the US, and limited parts of Central America, and South Africa. It is also naturalized in Puerto Rico.
Nutritional Value
Apart from their slightly sweeter, sour, and astringent taste, Ceylon gooseberry is a good source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Consuming 100 grams of Ceylon gooseberry offers 98 mg of Vitamin C, 14.6 g of Total Dietary Fiber, 0.4 mg of Vitamin B2, 1.2 mg of Iron, 26 mg of Phosphorus, 1.2 g of protein, 0.8 g of Total Fat, 0.3 mg of Vitamin B3, 0.02 mg of Vitamin B1, 13 mg of Calcium.
Nutritional value of Ceylon Gooseberry
Serving Size: 100 g
Calories 63 Kcal.Calories from Fat 0.8 Kcal.
Proximity
Amount
% DV
Water
82.8 g
N/D
Energy
63 Kcal
N/D
Protein
1.2 g
2.40%
Total Fat (lipid)
0.8 g
2.29%
Ash
1.8 g
N/D
Total dietary Fiber
14.6 g
38.42%
Minerals
Amount
% DV
Calcium, Ca
13 mg
1.30%
Iron, Fe
1.2 mg
15.00%
Phosphorus, P
26 mg
3.71%
Vitamins
Amount
% DV
Water-soluble Vitamins
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
0.02 mg
1.67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
0.4 mg
30.77%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
0.3 mg
1.88%
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
98 mg
108.89%
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Beta Carotene
210 µg
N/D
*Above mentioned Percent Daily Values (%DVs) are based on 2,000 calorie diet intake. Daily values (DVs) may be different depending upon your daily calorie needs. Mentioned values are recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are not rxharun.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average age of 19 to 50 years and weigh 194 lbs. Source: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/
How to eat
The very sour and astringent fruits are almost too acidic to eat raw and this is compounded by its velvety hairs which are offensive in the mouth.
Fruits are excellent for making preserves, jelly, jam, and juice.
In Hawaii, there are recipes for juice, spiced jelly, ketembilla-papaya jam, ketembilla-guava jelly, and ketembilla-apple butter.
Ketembilla is respected mainly as a source of jelly for export in Israel.
Since the pulp of the fruit is very juicy, it is either used as a flavoring for beverages or for preserves.
Other Traditional benefits of Ceylon gooseberry
The fruit has a high content of vitamin C which is essential for healing wounds and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.
Other Facts
Dovyalis hebecarpa is also planted as an ornamental or as wind-break.
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