Also known asJamun · Black Plum · Jambolan · Syzygium cumini
Name: Java plum, also called jamun, jambul, black plum or Indian blackberry (Syzygium cumini). The names are used interchangeably across South Asia, and the tree is unrelated to true plums.
Description
Jamun is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and the tree is a large, long-lived evergreen common in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. It has been used for thousands of years in food and in Ayurvedic medicine, especially for the seeds, which are traditionally ground and used for blood sugar control, and the tree is also valued for shade and timber.
The fruit is an oval, glossy berry that ripens from green to red to deep purple-black. The flesh is purple, juicy, and astringent-sweet, with a slightly sour, tangy note that dries the mouth and stains the tongue and lips dark purple. It is eaten fresh, with salt, or turned into juice, wine, jam and vinegar.
Main nutrition value
Jamun provides vitamin C, iron, potassium and fibre, with dark anthocyanin pigments that give it its colour and a tannin-rich, astringent taste.
How best to be consumed
Jamun is best eaten fresh and fully ripe, often with a pinch of salt.
- Wash and eat fresh when deep purple and soft, spitting out the large seed.
- Sprinkle with salt or black salt to balance the astringency, a common Indian way of eating it.
- Make into juice, squash, jam or a fermented drink.
- Chill the fruit before eating for a more refreshing taste.
- Expect temporary purple staining on tongue and hands.
Overconsumption could cause…
Jamun is safe in food-sized amounts, with a few considerations.
- Dry mouth, constipation or stomach upset from the strong astringency, particularly if eaten in large quantities or on an empty stomach.
- Traditional advice not to drink milk or eat very sour foods right after eating jamun.
- A possible lowering of blood sugar, so people on diabetes medicines should check with a doctor before using jamun or its seed powder regularly.
- Staining of mouth and clothes, which is harmless.
Wikipedia — Syzygium cumini, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygium_cumini
Comments
No comments yet.
Log in to leave a comment.