Kokum

What it is

Fresh kokum is a small to medium, round fruit. The ripe skin can be deep purple; inside are several seeds surrounded by sharply acidic pulp. The outer shell is very sour with a mild sweetness, while the pulp inside is even sourer.

Once the outer flesh dries in the sun, it turns into blackish-purple pieces called amsul or aamsol. These have a sour taste and a gently sweet aroma. Dried rind and fresh fruit are two forms of the same ingredient.

Where it comes from

Kokum, Garcinia indica, comes from India’s Western Ghats. It is traditionally grown in home gardens and mixed plantings in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. In the Konkan it often grows in home gardens among coconut and arecanut palms, watered by rain. Konkan Amruta and Konkan Hatis are two released varieties.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Goan cooking, solkadhi mixes kokum with coconut milk, spices and herbs. Kokum’s pigments turn the coconut milk a purple-pink, and the drink is served with meals. Dried kokum also gives Goan and Malvani fish and prawn curries their sour edge.

Kokum sharbat takes a sweeter route. Strained fruit is mixed with sugar syrup, then diluted with water to drink. Roasted cumin and cardamom can add spice; both fresh and dried kokum can make the syrup.

How it's grown

Kokum grows in humid tropical conditions. Planting usually begins with the monsoon, and growers use both seedlings and grafted plants. Grafted trees begin bearing in about four to five years; trees raised from seed take about seven to eight. In the Konkan, a fruiting tree can share a garden with coconut and arecanut.

When and where you'll find it

In Goa, fresh kokum usually fruits from April to June. Fresh fruit keeps for only about a week, so much of the harvest is halved, deseeded and dried. In the US, dried kokum comes as a packaged spice: Rani, a US spice company, sells Indian black kokum in 100 g (3.5 oz) packs for curries, dals and drinks.