Garcinia atroviridis
Encyclopedia
Garcinia atroviridis, known as Asam Gelugur, asam gelugo, or asam keping in Malay, is a large rainforest
tree
native to peninsular Malaysia. This species grows wild throughout peninsular Malaysia but is also widely cultivated, especially in the northern states, owing to its economic and medicinal value. Garcinia is a large perennial plant
commonly found in evergreen forests in the southern region of Thailand
and Malaysia.
are dark green, shiny, long and narrow with a pointed tip and upturned edges. The flowers are dark red. The round fruits
are borne singly on twig ends about 7 - 10 cm in diameter. The ripe fruits are bright orange yellow, which are sliced, dried and used in curries
or stewed in plenty of sugar to be eaten.
, tartaric acid
, malic acid
and ascorbic acid
, hydroxycitric acid
, and flavonoids
.
Ripe Asam fruit is bright-yellow orange. Sun-dried slices of the fruits, locally known as "asam keping", are commercially available and are popularly used as a vegetable salad and is considered extremely sour. The fruit is sliced, dried then stewed and used as a common ingredient in Asian dishes such as curries and soups.
Asam Gelugor is a perennial fruit tree native to the tropical climate in Malaysia. The trees, which often grow up to 65 feet tall, can also be found in other parts of South East Asia particularly Thailand where demand for the Asam fruit is increasing.
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
native to peninsular Malaysia. This species grows wild throughout peninsular Malaysia but is also widely cultivated, especially in the northern states, owing to its economic and medicinal value. Garcinia is a large perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
commonly found in evergreen forests in the southern region of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Malaysia.
Description
The Asam Geluger tree grows to a height of more than 20m and has a long trunk, smooth grey bark and drooping branches. The leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are dark green, shiny, long and narrow with a pointed tip and upturned edges. The flowers are dark red. The round fruits
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
are borne singly on twig ends about 7 - 10 cm in diameter. The ripe fruits are bright orange yellow, which are sliced, dried and used in curries
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
or stewed in plenty of sugar to be eaten.
Uses
The fruit contains citric acidCitric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
, tartaric acid
Tartaric acid
Tartaric acid is a white crystalline diprotic organic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants, particularly grapes, bananas, and tamarinds; is commonly combined with baking soda to function as a leavening agent in recipes, and is one of the main acids found in wine. It is added to other foods to...
, malic acid
Malic acid
Malic acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH2CHOHCO2H. It is a dicarboxylic acid which is made by all living organisms, contributes to the pleasantly sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms , though only the L-isomer exists...
and ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid is a naturally occurring organic compound with antioxidant properties. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves well in water to give mildly acidic solutions. Ascorbic acid is one form of vitamin C. The name is derived from a- and scorbutus , the...
, hydroxycitric acid
Hydroxycitric acid
Hydroxycitric acid is a derivative of citric acid that is found in a variety of tropical plants including Garcinia cambogia and Hibiscus subdariffa. Laboratory and animal studies of HCA have produced results that indicate a potential for modulation of lipid metabolism; consequently HCA is an...
, and flavonoids
Flavonoid
Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites....
.
Ripe Asam fruit is bright-yellow orange. Sun-dried slices of the fruits, locally known as "asam keping", are commercially available and are popularly used as a vegetable salad and is considered extremely sour. The fruit is sliced, dried then stewed and used as a common ingredient in Asian dishes such as curries and soups.
Asam Gelugor is a perennial fruit tree native to the tropical climate in Malaysia. The trees, which often grow up to 65 feet tall, can also be found in other parts of South East Asia particularly Thailand where demand for the Asam fruit is increasing.