India is a tropical country and covers a wide range of terrain. We are lucky to have some of the most diversified seasonal fruits and vegetables as a result of these nutritious soils.
Winter is one of the most fun times to eat. In the winter, a vast variety of foods are grown. They have a light, sweet flavour. It is quite easy to tell the difference between the taste of seasonal produce and the taste of the identical product when it is not in season.
Let’s talk about one of India’s underappreciated fruits today. Wood Apple (scientific name: Limonia acidissima) is a popular winter product found in dry plains of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and areas of the Western Himalayas.
Wood apples are known by a variety of names in India, including monkey apple, curd apple, elephant apple, kothu, kaitha, kath-bael, kavith, and others. It is an authentic Indian delicacy that may be enjoyed during the winter months.
Despite its erect height and slow growth, L. acidissima is a deciduous tree whose branches bend outwards near the summit where they are divided into slender branches sag at the tips. The fruit has a spherical form and a very hard wood covering that requires a lot of energy to break. It has a brown pulp that tastes acidic, spicy, aromatic, sweet, and sour. The pulp is sticky and can be eaten in many different ways.
It is a seasonal fruit that grows between the months of October and March. It’s a popular fruit because of its easy availability, sour flavour, and low price. The fruit is underappreciated because once you learn about its nutritional benefits; you won’t be able to stop eating it.
Nutritional benefits
The entire fruit is important both within and externally. The brown mealy pulp is what I’m referring to. When compared to other fruits, it has a high protein level of 13.8 grams per 100 grams, which is rather substantial. It’s a fruit with a low fat content and rich carbohydrate content. The fruit excels in terms of micronutrients. Fruit eating is advantageous, especially for people who are deficient in minerals and vitamins. The fruit is high in potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. It’s also one of the most essential vitamin C sources. A person’s RDA quotient is met by the Vitamin C content. Its taste is confirmation of its high vitamin C concentration, as eating the fruit on its own is challenging. However, it does require the addition of a sweetening agent.
Pectin chemicals are found in every fruit. When a fruit has the ability to release fibre that works as a thickening agent, it is referred to as pectin. The fruit’s soluble fibre content permits the pectin to gelatinise easily. It has a sugar content of 3–8%, making it perfect for jams and jellies. One of the biggest benefits wood apples offer is its tremendous antioxidant content. These antioxidants help in capturing the cells that have been oxidised due to stress. The capturing of these oxidative stress cells reduces the risk of cancer in the body. 
The fat content as told above is pretty less in the fruit which makes it perfectly ideal to consume in the winter season after consuming other forms of fat to keep the body warm. The good fiber content of the fruit has helped many overweight and obese people lose weight. It is also good for people with Gastrointestinal issues such as constipation. Wood apples in dried form are all the more beneficial because the powder obtained from the dried pulp is the concentrated form of calcium, magnesium, zinc and potassium. These minerals are essential for bone maintenance, neuromuscular development, body metabolism, blotting clotting, etc.
As the fruit doesn’t contain much sugar, it is perfect for people with diabetes mellitus.
Medicinal benefits
The good news doesn’t end there. Wood Apple is widely utilised for its therapeutic properties. To treat diarrhea and dysentery, the unripe fruit is used as a tonic. The unripe fruit can also be used to treat sore throats, coughs, and colds. The fruit pulp has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as acting as a mosquito repellent. Apart from that, when used on wounds, it speeds up the healing process.
Wood Apple is widely used as a liver tonic since it treats ailments caused by excessive bile output or other liver disorders. The tree’s leaves are effective antibacterial agents. The leaves can be dried and then sprayed throughout the house to kill bacteria. Children’s dyspepsia can be helped with a small combination of wood apple leaves.
Industrial use
Wood apple is often utilised in the commercial production of jams, jellies, and chutneys. Because the fruit has a lower moisture content, it can be stored and kept for a longer period of time. It has a benefit in terms of product transportation. The substance is used to make ‘barfi,’ which is a one-of-a-kind dish. The pulp and sugar are combined in a certain ratio, resulting in a hom*ogeneous mixture from which wood apple barfi can be made.
Protein isolates for patients and bodybuilders can be made commercially from wood apple extract. In bakeries, the dried and removed pulp is frequently utilised in the preparation of biscuits. Minerals and antioxidants abound in them. Squashes and syrups are also made from the fruit, which is popular during the summer months.
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