What are the medicinal uses of the jambolan?

What are the medicinal uses of the jambolan?

This member of the Myrtaceae is of wider interest for its medicinal applications than for its edible fruit. Botanically it is Syzygium cumini Skeels (syns. S. jambolanumDC., Eugenia cumini Druce, E. jambolana Lam., E. djouat Perr., Myrtus cumini L., Calyptranthes jambolana Willd.).

What kind of flavor does jambolan fruit have?

The fruit is usually astringent, sometimes unpalatably so, and the flavor varies from acid to fairly sweet. The jambolan is native in India, Burma, Ceylon and the Andaman Islands. It was long ago introduced into and became naturalized in Malaya.

Where can I find jamun jambolan plum tree?

The tree is thought to be of prehistoric introduction into the Philippines where it is widely planted and naturalized, as it is in Java and elsewhere in the East Indies, and in Queensland and New South Wales, also on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba and Mombasa and adjacent coast of Kenya. In Ghana, it is found only in gardens.

How tall does a jambolan tree grow to be?

The jambolan tree grows well from sea-level to 6,000 ft (1,800 m) but, above 2,000 ft (600 m) it does not fruit but can be grown for its timber. It develops most luxuriantly in regions of heavy rainfall, as much as 400 in (1,000 cm) annually.

What can you do with the jambolan Berry?

The Jambolan berry is used in many different ways. It can be eaten raw if the astringency is tolerable, and was a classic convalescent food. The fruits are fragile, and as such jams are a popular preparation. A juice from the fruit can be used in various recipes, such as sherberts, syrups, and tarts.

Why is jambolan important to the Hindu religion?

Jambolan is considered sacred to the Hindu god Krishna, and is commonly planted near Hindu temples. The leaves and fruits are offered to the elephant-headed Lord Ganesha during worship. Energetically, Jambolan is thought to be astringent, drying, cooling, and sweet. Constitutionally, it is thought to pacify the kapha and pitta doshas.

Where does the Jamun jambolan tree come from?

The tree is thought to be of prehistoric introduction into the Philippines where it is widely planted and naturalized, as it is in Java and elsewhere in the East Indies, and in Queensland and New South Wales, also on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba and Mombasa and adjacent coast of Kenya.

When to plant jambolan trees in the Philippines?

The fruit is in season in the Marquesas in April; in the Philippines, from mid-May to mid-June. In Hawaii, the crop ripens in late summer and fall. Flowering occurs in Java in July and August and the fruits ripen in September and October.