Kokam

Hindi Name: Kokam

Botanical name: Garcinia indica

Family name: Clusiaceae

Commercial part: Peel of fruit (cured)

With an agreeable flavor and sweet, acidic taste Kokam is an Indian spice specialty for culinary and medical purposes.

Indian kokam is a versatile spice. Its oils, seeds, fruits, bark and the young leaves are all of extensive culinary and therapeutic value. The kokam fruit is cholagogue, cooling, demulcent, emollient and antiseptic. The bark and young leaves are astringent. The oil is emollient and soothing. Among the major uses of kokam are, garnish for curries and in the preparation of cooling syrups.

Good sunshine, adequate rainfall and rich soil in Konkan, Malabar and Kanara regions of Western India kokam is able to have plentiful growth.

Exported mainly in the forms of fruits, oil (kokam butter) and syrup, Indian kokam is already popular in several countries like USA, The UK, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and the Middle East.