KAAFAL, HISSAR, BEDU, DADIM,KILMODE,GHINGARU AND TIMULU

KAAFAL

KAFAAL

Kaafal is one of the extreme delicious fruit found in uttarakhand. Scientific name is Myrica Esculenta. It is not very juicy citrus fruit but the taste of this fruit is amazing with tangy sweet and sour pleasure. The red coating contains some sugary juices when chewed not fully as behind the red coat a solid seed is present which is thrown out. Kafal is the state fruit of Uttarakhand.

HISSARS

Most of the Uttarakhand is mountain and is blessed with variety of fruits among them wild fruits play a major role as they serve as the free energy packets for the people travelling mountains as they can be find everywhere, one of such fruit is Hisalu (wild fruit berry). Hisalu is a yellow colored small fruit which can be found mostly in summers in both Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand. It is also known as HISSARS.The taste of hisalu makes one to wonder as it is difficult to say hisalu taste better or nectar!,Earlier hisalu used to ripen in the month of May and June but due to climatic variations the ripening season of hisalu changed to March and April. Hisalu are available in area like Nainital, Bhimtal, and Almora. Even you can purchase the fruit from the road side sellers. Rubus ellipticus commonly known as golden Himalayan raspberry, is an Asian species of thorny fruiting shrub in the rose family. It is native to China, Nepal, the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, and the Philippines. Rubus ellipticus is called aiselu, hisalu, ashilo or aisayloo (ऐंसेलु) and is loved by children playing in the forests. It is sweet to the taste, though it is not commonly harvested for domestic use. The fruit perishes quickly after plucking from the thorny bush.

HISSARS

             
                                                     

BEDU

BEDU

This is called अंजीर in hindi and Fig in English. तिमिल and बेड़ू both belongs to fig family. Uttarakhands climate is naturally rich for growing figs but unfortunately the commercial production of these fruits is a nightmare. Both Fig family trees are recognised as a wild fruit trees and are never planted by peoples. Most peoples are confused between  तिमिल and बेड़ू. These are different fruits but belongs to the Fig family. Timil’s English biological name is ficus arikulata.The Bedu fruit is hardly eaten by the new generation of people in Uttarakhand. It remains to be popular folk song in the hill state-Uttarakhand.Ficus palmata commonly known as bedu or Punjab fig is one of the tallest wild fig commonly found in Uttarakhand in Mid-himalayan region. The fruit is quite tasty and grows around villages, forest, wastelands, fields etc.

DADIM

DADIM

This is the most undervalued fruit of uttatakhand. Dadim belongs to the family of Pomegranate.it is almost same as pomegranate except the size and taste. Dadim is smaller in size and tastes sour and sweet equally. Dadim is approximately 40% of the size of pomegranate. A well ripen pomegranate has more sweet in taste and little bit of sour but in Dadim sour and sweet both tastes are in equal ratio. Dadim tree is almost similar to pomegranate but in some cases, it is found longer (in height) than pomegranate. A well ripen dadim has an eye catching red color and an amazing taste which makes this fruit much better than pomegranate.if you have ever tasted Dadim then I am sure it will be your favorite fruit.Dadim is globally distributed in South Europe, Pakistan, India and West Asia. Within India, it is wild in the warm valley, outer hills of western Himalayas between an altitude range of 900- 1800 m and cultivated in many parts of the country. Dadim is a large deciduous shrub or a small tree, growing to 5-8 m height. The leaves are opposite or sub-opposite, glossy, narrow, oblong, entire, 3-7 cm long and 2 cm broad. The flowers are bright red, with five petals each. The Seeds are brown, angular, wedge-shaped, 0.5-0.6 cm long, 0.1-0.2 cm wide; taste are sweetish-sour.

KILMODE

KILMODE

In the childhood days everyone who belongs to the area, which grows kilmode, must have enjoyed this fruit.this plant is in a high demand always due to its medical uses. The root of this plant is very useful and used in a variety of medicines.Although it is a plant but it's branches and roots are very strong and solid.It's a thorny plant and has thorn on leaves as well as on leaves.The ripen fruit has purple colour and tastes sweet and sour. This taste of Kilmode is different and unique and cannot be compared with other tastes. Due to its medical properties,this plant is dissapearing fast.

GHINGARU

It’s English name is Pyracantha crenulata . This is again a wild fruit and has a thorny plant.

GHINGARU

However it can not be put in the proper fruit category but due to its significance for the residents of hilly region, it gets a fruit category. All the peoples who are residents of uttarakhand hilly regions must have tasted it mostly in their childhood days.This is believed to be a native of Nepal and China. In India, it is distributed from Sutluj valley to Bhutan between.  In the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh , it is found in the districts of Solan and Shimla.It is a  large glabrous, spiny, evergreen shrub.
Ghingaru fruits are edible and eaten by local people despite the fact that these are not very tasty.

The fruits are full of medicinal properties.  These are credited with Cardiac-tonic(related to heart), Coronary Vasodilator(widening of blood vessels) and Hypotensive properties (lowering blood pressure). It has been used for cardiac failure, myocardial weakness,  hypertension, arteriosclerosis and Buerger's disease. The anti-oxidants present in the fruits are helpful in reducing the ill-effects of free-radicals in our body, maintain blood-pressure and reduce cholesterol.

TIMIL/TIMULU

TIMIL

Timil is also comes in the wild fruit category. it belongs to fig family.however the leaves are more important and significant than the fruit itself.now a days fruits are eaten rarely but the leaves are used in almost all the festivals and Hindu religious activities. Timil leaves are very long and wide so it is being used to hold stuff from ancient times. Combining 3 or 4 timil leaves can be used as a plate to serve the food.a single timil leave capacity to hold the stuff is equal to a normal size bowl. Timil tree’s are very popular in the hilly region of uttarakhand and a part of residents life.

 a fresh research on this fruit has found that timil has cancer cure properties and it is like a medicine for cancer patients.