Met Rare Vegetable at Ko Kret..” Elephant Apple (Dillenia Indica)”!

I came here in Bagnkok 3 year ago from Japan.

But still I can meet new fruits and vegetables.

Especially it is chance  when I go outside the center of Bangkok.

This time, I have a day trip to Ko Kret, the popular sandbar area in Chao Phraya river located 1 hour bus riding from the center of Bangkok.

I thought it is a fruit, but the seller said No.

It is a vegetable which is used for ingredients for curry or soup.

The price they sold is 20- 40 thb per 3.

They taught us only Thai name..

So I research the English name in Internet

English name: elephant apple /  Dillenia indica

Indian Name: chulta

Thai Name: มะตาด (ma-tart)

Why is is called elephant apple ?

Because the wild elephant really love to eat these vegetables in India.

They are eaten also in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh area. Maybe more in those  South Asia area.

They are also used as ingredients of curries, jam, chutney..

It seems furit but actually it is a flower which dose not open yet!

Anyway, it is super hard to cut it.

In addition, once peeling the inetment, it is super viscid.

And the taste is very sour  and  texture is fibrous.

I cooked with curry powder and coconut milk.

So, Yes, it is a curry like dish.

Was it delicious?

I would say,, I could eat. I could complete until finished.

But I need a  slight effort.

I can eat if I am hungry.

Not to bad.

But Not very delicious for me.

I don’t want to buy and cook anymore.

The traditional benefits of elephant apple

I researched the historical uses and the effect of this vegetable.

The fruits and the juice of the plant are traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases and one of the major diseases is Diabetes Mellitus.

It was also proved from the review of literatures that this plant possesses some antidiabetic properties (Sunil kumar et.al).

Thus in this review we gave some emphasise on the traditional and clinical use of Dillenia Indica (outenga or elephant apple) as an antidiabetic herb.

INTRODUCTION: Dillenia Indica (outenga or elephant apple) is the common fruit that is an integral part of grandma’s recipe, which has more to it than just its bitter taste and flavour. It is also a favourable dish of Assamese cuisine. The jelly like pulp of the fruit is applied to scalp for curing dandruff and falling hairs. The sepals are traditionally used for stomach disorder.

DILLENIA INDICA (OUTENGA) AS ANTI-DIABETIC HERB FOUND IN ASSAM: A REVIEW. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267861340_DILLENIA_INDICA_OUTENGA_AS_ANTI-DIABETIC_HERB_FOUND_IN_ASSAM_A_REVIEW [accessed Aug 6, 2017].

So the traditional benefits are・・・

• stop cough 
• cure digestive disorder
• antidiabetic
• Soap
• cure dandruff
• prevent falling hairs

Anyway I believe they are antidiabetic means they are also effective for antiaging.

But I could not collect  so much information.

If you know more benefits or effects, please let me know!!!

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