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Star attraction

The star gooseberry is rich in Vitamin C and is commonly used to make pickles

A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES No fruit is borne in greater abundance than star gooseberries

Kiru nellikkayi, a favourite household fruit for pickling, is native to Malaysia, Brazil and Madagascar. This variety of gooseberry is known by many names — Malay gooseberry, Tahitian gooseberry, country gooseberry and star gooseberry. All these refer to Phyllanthus acidus of the family Euphorbiaceae.

Phyllanthus acidus is a deciduous tree of medium height with a spreading, dense crown of thick branches, bearing pointed leaves. Tiny, four-parted, rosy flowers are borne in clusters, and hang directly from the main branches. The waxy fruit that develop later form spectacular dense masses studded on the branches. The crisp, juicy and highly acidic fruit, rich in Vitamin C, is oblate with six to eight ribs. Tightly embedded in the centre is a hard, ribbed stone, containing four to six seeds. No fruit is borne in greater abundance than these acidic star gooseberries.

The tree often bears two crops in a year in south India, the first in April/May, and the second in August/September. In other areas, the main crop is in January, with scattered fruiting throughout the year.

The sliced fruit, mixed with sugar, is refrigerated for a day to modify the acidity so that the flesh and juice can be used as a sauce or syrup. In Indonesia and Malaysia, the tart flesh is added to many dishes as a flavouring agent or used as a sweet preserve. Bahamian cooks prepare a ruby-red jelly by boiling the whole fruit in sugar. The Filipinos use these fruits to make vinegar.

In our country, the fruits are usually pickled or taken as a syrup for therapeutic purposes. The leaves, ground with pepper, are used as a poultice to relieve sciatica, lumbago and rheumatism.

Though cranberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries may be a household name in the Western world, gooseberries are a star attraction in Indian household, and are enjoyed by the young and the old alike.

PAULINE DEBORAH & RIDLING WALLER

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