Bael (Aegle marmelos)
October 6, 2007 — Vasant M. SalianBael (Aegle marmelos) is a fruit-bearing tree indigenous to dry forests on hills and plains of central and southern India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It is cultivated throughout India, as well as in Sri Lanka, northern Malaya, Java and in the Philippines. The tree, which is the only species in the genus Aegle, grows up to 18 meters tall and bears thorns and fragrant flowers. It has a woody-skinned, smooth fruit 5-15 cm in diameter. The skin of some forms of the fruit is so hard it must be cracked open with a hammer. It has numerous seeds, which are densely covered with fibrous hairs and are embedded in a thick, gluey, aromatic pulp.
The fruit is eaten fresh or dried. The juice is strained and sweetened to make a drink similar to lemonade, and is also used in making Sharbat, a refreshing drink where the pulp is mixed with tamarind. The young leaves and small shoots are eaten as salad greens. The fruit is also used in religious rituals and as a ayurvedic remedy for such ailments as diarrhoea, dysentery, intestinal parasites, dryness of the eyes, and the common cold. It is a very powerful antidote for chronic constipation.
In Hinduism, the Lord Shiva is said to live under the Bael tree. In India, the tree is often found in temple gardens and its leaves are used in religious celebrations.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Rosidae
Order : Sapindales
Family : Rutaceae
Genus : Aegle
Species : Aegle marmelos
Pronunciation/Meaning:
- Rutaceae (roo-TAY-see-ay) - The Ruta family (genus name means bitter herb).
- Aegle (AY-glee) - Named for one of the naiads (nymphs in Greek mythology who presided over springs, rivers and lakes).
- marmelos (mar-MAY-los)
Common Names:
- Bael Fruit, Bengal Quince, Indian Bael, Marmelo, Siriphal, Stone Apple, Wood Apple, Golden Apple (English)
- Bael, Bel, Bilwa (Hindi)
- Kuvalum (Tamil)
- Koovalam, Kuvalam, Vilmam (Malayalam)
- Kumbala (Kannada)
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