Garcinia cowa, commonly known as cowa fruit or cowa mangosteen is an evergreen plant with edible fruit native to Asia, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Southwest China. The tree is harvested from the wild for its edible fruits and leaves, which are used locally. Flowers are yellow, male & female flowers are separated.
It is locally known as Kau Thekera (কাও থেকেৰা) in Assamese, Kowa in Bengali and Malayalam, Kau in Manipuri.[rx]
| Cowa Mangosteen Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Cowa Mangosteen |
| Scientific Name: | Garcinia cowa |
| Origin | East India (Assam, Bengal, Mizoram, Bihar, and Orissa), Nepal, Myanmar, Kampuchea, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and northern Peninsular Malaysia |
| Colors | Dull orange or yellow |
| Shapes | Subglobose, 2.5-6 cm |
| Flesh colors | Pale orange |
| Taste | Sour |
The genus Garcinia belongs to the Clusiaceae family. The trees are small to medium-sized reaching the height of 30 meters and widely distributed in the tropical regions of the world. Cowa Mangosteen is inherent to East India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Kampuchea, Northern Peninsular Malaysia, and Vietnam. It is also found in Andaman, Nicobar Islands and South and West Yunnan in China. This evergreen tree has a bole of 15-20 cm in diameter. The bark is dark brown with lemon yellow exudates. Leaves are simple, entire, opposite, 6-15 by 2.5-6 cm, broadly lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, thick, glossy green, and tapering to both ends. The male flower has four yellow peals which are flushed with pink. Female flowers are solitary, axillary with staminodes united in the lower half. Fruits are oblique, sub-globose-globose and 5–6 × 4–5 cm in diameter. Fruits are green when young and turn dull orange or yellow when mature. Seeds are large, trigonous, and embedded in pale orange pulp.
Traditional uses
- The bark is used as an antipyretic and antimicrobial agent.
- Fruits and leaves are used to improve blood circulation, relieve cough, indigestion, and fever.
- The sun-dried fruit slices are used to treat dysentery in Eastern India.
- Fruit and leaves have been used for indigestion and improvement of blood circulation.
Culinary uses
- Fruits are made into preserves and jams.
- The sun-dried sliced pieces are used to add flavor in various Malay cuisines.
- In Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, young leaves and tender leafy shoots are used as vegetables.
- In Thailand, young leaves are consumed cooked. It is also cooked with fish.
- In Vietnam, fruits are used to impart acidic flavor to fish and crab dishes.
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