Amla

What it is

Amla is almost round, with pale lines running from top to bottom. As it matures, green skin turns whitish or dull greenish-yellow. The skin is thin enough to let light through, and the flesh beneath it is juicy and crunchy. Larger Indian varieties can reach about 5 cm (2 in) across.

A hard central stone holds six small seeds. The ripe flesh is still intensely acidic and astringent—the dry, puckering feeling in your mouth—and some fruits have a bitter edge.

Where it comes from

Amla’s native range includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as China and Malaysia. India is its biggest producer. In Uttar Pradesh, the belts around Pratapgarh and Ayodhya are important growing areas. Banarasi, NA-7 and Chakaiya are among the named varieties grown in Indian orchards.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Andhra Pradesh, amla avakaya turns the sour fruit into a spicy pickle. Amla pieces soften in sesame oil, then take on mustard, fenugreek, chilli and garlic. It goes alongside dal and rice, curd rice or stuffed paratha.

Amla murabba takes the sweet route: the fruit becomes a spiced preserve. Both preparations keep amla’s sharp character, with oil and spices in one and sweetness in the other.

How it's grown

Amla is a hardy subtropical tree that prefers a dry climate and tolerates a wide range of soils, including salty and alkaline ground. Growers use seedlings as well as grafted or budded trees, joining a chosen variety to another plant’s roots. Its established orchard varieties include Banarasi and Chakaiya.

When and where you'll find it

In Uttar Pradesh, the harvest usually runs from October through December: Banarasi and NA-10 first, NA-7 in November and Chakaiya in December. Farther south, Chennai’s Koyambedu market and Ottanchathiram are major amla markets in Tamil Nadu.

Amla also comes frozen. Deep’s frozen amla is quick-frozen soon after harvest and lists just the fruit as its ingredient, so it brings none of a pickle’s oil or a preserve’s added sugar.