Image: Garcinia gummi-gutta in Aanakkulam

Description: Garcinia gummi-gutta is a tropical species of Garcinia native to Indonesia. Common names include Garcinia cambogia (a former scientific name), as well as Gambooge, Brindleberry, Brindall berry, Malabar tamarind, Assam fruit, Vadakkan puli (Northern tamarind) and Kudam puli (Pot tamarind). This fruit looks like a small pumpkin and is green to pale yellow in color. It is one of several closely related Garcinia species from the plant family Guttiferae. With thin skin and deep vertical lobes, the fruit of G. gummi-gutta and related species range from about the size of an orange to that of a grapefruit; G. gummi-gutta looks more like a small yellowish, greenish or sometimes reddish pumpkin. The color can vary considerably. When the rinds are dried and cured in preparation for storage and extraction, they are dark brown or black in color. Along the west coast of South India, G. gummi-gutta is popularly termed "Malabar tamarind," and shares culinary uses with the Tamarind (Tamarindus indica"').
Title: Garcinia gummi-gutta in Aanakkulam
Credit: Own work
Author: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India
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