Lets see how much info we can get on nepalese fruits...
I am sorry to take your minds away from love and other very important posts...:-)
this one is knowledge oriented...

I'll start with Jack fruit which one of my favorite, unripe as vegetable, ripe as sweet tasty fruit and even the seeds has its own use...

Jackfruit; Artocarpus heterophyllus; Rookh Katahar; रुख कटहर
The jackfruit, Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (syns. A. integrifolius Auct. NOT L. f.; A integrifolia L. f.; A. integra Merr.; Rademachia integra Thunb. ), of the family Moraceae, is also called jak-fruit, jak, jaca, and, in Malaysia and the Philippines, nangka; in Thailand, khanun; in Cambodia, khnor; in Laos, mak mi or may mi; in Vietnam, mit. It is an excellent example of a food prized in some areas of the world and allowed to go to waste in others. O.W. Barrett wrote in 1928: ";The jaks . . . are such large and interesting fruits and the trees so well-behaved that it is difficult to explain the general lack of knowledge concerning them.";
No one knows the jackfruit's place of origin but it is believed indigenous to the rainforests of the Western Ghats. It is cultivated at low elevations throughout India, Nepal, Burma, Ceylon, southern China, Malaya, and the East Indies. It is common in the Philippines, both cultivated and naturalized. It is grown to a limited extent in Queensland and Mauritius. In Africa, it is often planted in Kenya, Uganda and former Zanzibar. Though planted in Hawaii prior to 1888, it is still rare there and in other Pactfic islands, as it is in most of tropical America and the West Indies. It was introduced into northern Brazil in the mid-19th Century and is more popular there and in Surinam than elsewhere in the New World.
In South India, the jackfruit is a popular food ranking next to the mango and banana in total annual production. There are more than 100,000 trees in backyards and grown for shade in betelnut, coffee, pepper and cardamom plantations. The total area planted to jackfruit in all India is calculated at 14,826 acres (26,000 ha). Government horticulturists promote the planting of jackfruit trees along highways, waterways and railroads to add to the country's food supply.

Jack fruit is the world's largest tree borne fruit...Largest of all tree-borne fruits, the jackfruit may be 8 in to 3 ft (20-90 cm) long and 6 to 20 in (15-50 cm) wide, and the weight ranges from 10 to 60 or even as much as 110 lbs (4.5-20 or 50 kg).

Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion
Pulp (ripe-fresh) Seeds (fresh) Seeds (dried)
Calories 98
Moisture 72.0-77.2 g 51.6-57.77 g
Protein 1.3-1.9 g 6.6 g
Fat 0.1-0.3 g 0.4 g
Carbohydrates 18.9-25.4 g 38.4 g
Fiber 1.0-1.1 g 1.5 g
Ash 0.8-1.0 g 1.25-1.50 g 2.96%
Calcium 22 mg 0.05-0.55 mg 0.13%
Phosphorus 38 mg 0.13-0.23 mg 0.54%
Iron 0.5 mg 0.002-1.2 mg 0.005%
Sodium 2 mg
Potassium 407 mg
Vitamin A 540 I.U.
Thiamine 0.03 mg
Niacin 4 mg
Ascorbic Acid 8-10 mg

The pulp constitutes 25-40% of the fruit's weight.
I'm pretty sure, many of us have actually seen the tree.
If you have any specific dishes made out of jackfruit, please share...
i'll add more nepalese fruit soon...

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Thank you all for your comments...

Lapsi is available in many asian countries like china, vietnam etc.

Jyapoo, मौसम or Mausam is what they sell in the US as oranges and has diff varieties... it has exactly similar features as our tangerines (सुन्तला) but little sour.

Whoareyou, you are right about different kinds of sichuan pepper...or Szechwan Pepper
Zanthoxylum piperitum but Nepalese timmur is Zanthoxylum Alatum not Zanthoxylum piperitum...
Timbur can be used in any अचार including sauce for momo...

BTW I'm not expert neither in fruits nor in spices...just trying to build a collection of available fruits/spices in nepal... all of yours participation is appreciated

Timbur=टिम्बुर or Timur=टिम्मुर‍ or Tejbal in Hindi or Zanthoxylum Alatum or Sichuan Pepper or Sezchuan peppar in Swedish, Ma lar & Mak kak in Thai, Dang cay & Sen gai Vietnamese


Four types of culinary sichuan pepper: Upper left Nepali timur (Zanthoxylum alatum), upper right Indonesian andaliman (Z. acanthopodium), lower left Indian tirphal (Z. rhetsa), lower right Chinese jiao (Z. piperitum/simulans) (200 dpi scan).
Nepal's timbur is Zanthoxylum alatum


Origin
The term ?sichuan pepper? refers to a spice obtained form a group of closely related plants of genus Zanthoxylum. In Asia, most representatives of this genus are found in the Himalaya region, furthermore in Central, South, South East and East Asia. American and African Zanthoxylum species have not yet been put to culinary use.

The most important species are: Z. piperitum DC = Z. sansho (Central and Eastern China, Japan, Korea), Z. simulans Hance = Z. bungei (China, Taiwan), Z. bungeanum Max. (China), Z. schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc. (China, Korea), Z. nitidum Roxb (DC) (China, peninsular South East Asia), Z. rhetsa Pierre var. budranga Pier. = Z. limonella (Western North India, peninsular South East Asia), Z. armatum DC = Z. alatum Roxb. (Himalaya, peninsular South East Asia, East Asia), Z. avicennae (Lamk) DC = Z. tidorense (China, peninsular South East Asia, Indonesia) and Z. acanthopodium DC (eastern Himalaya, China, peninsular South East Asia, Sumatra). All species mentioned here have their place in local cuisines and can (excepting Z. schinifolium) mostly be used interchangeably. Literature often gives contradicting information which spice is used where; furthermore, Zanthoxylum is a difficult genus with many different, similar and not well-researched species.
Sensory quality
The dried fruits of sichuan pepper and its relatives have an aromatic odour that, for most species, can be described as lemon-like, with more or less pronounced warm and woodsy overtones. Some of the species have deviating flavour, e.g., Z. alatum (spicy)

Z. alatum, a species growing in the Himalayas and figuring prominent in Tibeti and Nepali cooking, is reported to contain mostly linalool (more than 50%), further limonene, methyl cinnamate and cineol. (Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 16, 408, 2001) (Journal of Essential Oil Research, 10, 127, 1998)

Culinary Uses
Originating from the Szechwan province of China, Szechwan pepper is associated with dishes from that region which feature hotter and spicier cooking than the rest of China. Duck and chicken dishes in particular work well with the spice. Hua jiao yen is a mixture of salt and Szechwan pepper, roasted and browned in a wok and served as a condiment to accompany chicken, duck and pork dishes. Star anise and ginger are often used with it and figures prominently in Szechwan cuisine.
Szechwan pepper is one of the few spices important for Tibetan and Bhutani cookery of the Himalayas, because few spices can be grown there. The national dish of Tibet are momos, a pasta stuffed with yak and flavoured with Szechwan pepper, garlic, ginger and onion. The noodles are steemed and served dry, together with a fiery chile sauce.
In Japan the dried and powdered leaves of the same species of prickly ash is known as sansho and used to make noodle dishes and soups mildly hot and fragrant. The whole leaves, kinome, are used to flavour vegetables, especially bamboo shoots, and to decorate soups. Szechwan pepper is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder and shichimi togarashi, a Japanese seven-flavour seasoning.
(sources:http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/szechuan.html

http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/szechuan.html

Banned from the U.S.
The following information is taken from an article on NYTimes.com - Sichuan Foods Signature Fire Is Becoming Hard to Find
February 4, 2004
By DENISE LANDIS

In 1968, the U.S. Agriculture Department prohibited the import of all plants and products of the citrus family, of which the Sichuan peppercorn is a member, because they could carry a canker that destroys citrus trees. The ban was not strictly enforced before a revision of the department's manual for field inspectors specified that the ban applied to Sichuan peppercorns (Zanthoxylum simulans) and the Sansho peppercorns (Zanthoxylum piperitum) used in Japanese cooking.

The canker is caused by bacteria that are harmless to humans but possibly contagious among members of the citrus family. It is spread by physical contact. There is no known chemical treatment for the disease, and both infected trees and those nearby must be destroyed.

But while it is known that the prickly ash shrub, which grows in China, Japan and North Korea, carries the canker, department officials could not point to any scientific study or research that showed that the dried peppercorns carried it.

"Unfortunately, the popular Sichuan peppercorn is banned from import into the United States due to its classification in the citrus family," Dore Mobley, a spokeswoman for the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said in a statement. When asked whether there had ever been a case of peppercorns contaminating citrus trees since the ban was imposed in 1968, Ms. Mobley
did not point to any.

"Citrus canker poses a significant threat to not only citrus in Florida, but citrus in California, Texas and Arizona as well," she said in the statement. "Therefore an across-the-board ban on citrus from specific countries known to have the disease is the cornerstone of our efforts to protect U.S. agriculture."

In early 2004, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved a treatment to kill the canker by heating the peppercorns to 140 degrees. But that changes their quality and character. No other treatment, including irradiation, kills the canker.
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Sichuan Food's Signature Fire Is Becoming Hard to Find
Wonder if obtaining some of this from Canada might be a useful project for the attendees of the next Hot Foods Party.


February 4, 2004
Sichuan Food's Signature Fire Is Becoming Hard to Find
By DENISE LANDIS

FIRE is a not unfamiliar sensation in food. Cuisines all over the world get a zap from chili peppers in dozens of guises. But there's nothing like the numbing sparkle that the food of Sichuan gets from the Sichuan peppercorn ? huajiao, as it is called there.

"You can't cook Sichuan food without huajiao," said Wang Dinggeng, the chef at Grand Sichuan International on Second Avenue. "You can't get that special ma la flavor," he said of the peppercorns' numbing (ma) and burning (la) effects.

But will the tingle be around for much longer?
In 1968, the Agriculture Department prohibited the import of all plants and products of the citrus family, of which the Sichuan peppercorn is a member, because they could carry a canker that destroys citrus trees. The ban was not strictly enforced before a revision of the department's manual for field inspectors, after the canker had begun to devastate citrus crops in Florida. The revision specified that the ban applied to Sichuan peppercorns (Zanthoxylum simulans) and the Sansho peppercorns (Zanthoxylum piperitum) used in Japanese cooking.

The canker is caused by bacteria that are harmless to humans but highly contagious among members of the citrus family. It is spread by physical contact. There is no known chemical treatment for the disease, and both infected trees and those nearby must be destroyed.

But while it is known that the prickly ash shrub, which grows in China, Japan and North Korea, carries the canker, department officials could not point to any scientific study or research that showed that the dried peppercorns carried it.

"Unfortunately, the popular Sichuan peppercorn is banned from import into the United States due to its classification in the citrus family," Dore Mobley, a spokeswoman for the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said in a statement. When asked whether there had ever been a case of peppercorns contaminating citrus trees since the ban was imposed in 1968, Ms. Mobley did not point to any.

"Citrus canker poses a significant threat to not only citrus in Florida, but citrus in California, Texas and Arizona as well," she said in the statement. "Therefore an across-the-board ban on citrus from specific countries known to have the disease is the cornerstone of our efforts to protect U.S. agriculture."
Read more at http://www.livejournal.com/users/r_ness/36796.html
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ripe Timbur fruits:

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Hing or Asafoetida = हिँग या हिङग
Ferula assafoetida
Family: Umbelliferae
Hingis prepared from the root juice of the plant of Asafoetida orFerula assafoetida
from http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Feru_ass.html


Used plant part
The milk juice (obtained from the root), which becomes a brown, resin-like mass after drying.
Plant family

Apiaceae (parsley family).
Sensory quality

Very strong smell, rather repugnant, remotely similar to (not altogether fresh) garlic.
Main constituents

Dried asafetida consists mostly of a resin (25 to 60% of the total mass, 60% of which are esters of ferula acid) and a complex carbohydrate part (25 to 30%). The essential oil (10%) contains a wealth of sulfur compounds, mainly (R)-2-butyl-1-propenyl disulphide (50%), 1-(1-methylthiopropyl) 1-propenyl disulphide and 2-butyl-3-methylthioallyl disulphide. Furthermore, di-2-butyl trisulphide, 2-butyl methyl trisulphide, di-2-butyl disulphide and even di-2-butyl tetrasulphide have been found. (Phytochemistry, 23, 899, 1984)


The essential oil contains also some terpenes (α-pinene, phellandrenes) and hendecylsulphonyl acetic acid. Ethers of sesquiterpenes with coumarins have also been identified (farnesiferoles).
Origin

Various species of genus Ferula grow wild from the Eastern Mediterranean to Central Asia. Most important as spice is F. assa-foetida, although one reads occasionally about other species (F. persica, F. alliacea, F. foetida and F. narthex) as inferior substitutes or adulterations. All these species are native to Central Asia (Iran to Afghanistan) and are, to my knowledge, not cultivated anywhere else.
Ferula asafoetida/assa-foetida: Young asafetida plant
Young asafetida plant
Ferula assa-foetida/asafoetida: Flowering plant

Flowering plant
Galbanum is the dried latex from a related species (Ferula galbaniflua) also native to Central Asia (Iran). Galbanum has an aromatic, pleasant odour and is mainly used for incenses. See mahaleb cherry for an explanation of the name galbanum.
Etymology
The Latin name ferula means ?carrier? or ?vehicle?; a related species (F. vulgaris), native to the Mediterranean, is mentioned in the Greek mythology as the plant that helped Prometheus to carry the stolen fire from the Sun to the Earth. It has been suggested that stone-age nomad tribes might have indeed used the hollow stems to transport fire between their camps. The same Latin root appears in the botanical name of mango.

The species name assa-foetida is made up of elements from two languages: Assa is a latinized form of Farsi aza [آزا] ?resin, mastic?, and Latin foetidus means ?smelling, fetid?.

The modern Farsi name angozad [انگژد] or anguze [انگوژه] derives from ang [انگ] ?gum; sap? and zad [ژد] ?resin?. The first element ang is also found in the names of asafetida in many Indic languages, e.g., Hindi hing [हींग].


Some very picturesque names (German Teufelsdreck, French merde du diable, Swedish dyvelstr?ck and Turkish şeytan tersi), all meaning more or less politely ?dung of devil?, exemplify the small enthusiasm this unusual spice meets outside the regions of its traditional usage. Latvian drīveldriķis is an obsolete pharmaceutical term probably loaned from a Northern Germanic language; there is also a Latvian calque velna sūds ?devil's shit?.
Selected Links

The Epicentre: Asafoetida Nature One Health: Galbanum INDU-Versand Nature One Health: Asafetida Una sostanza favolosa: Assa Fetida (gianniferretti.it) From Silphium to Asafoetida: A Tale of Two Ancient Spices Recipe: Lentil Dhal [दाल] (recipesource.com) Recipe: Sundal Varieties (Indian Legume Recipes) (www.chennaionline.com)

Ferula asafoetida/assa-foetida: Asafetida flower
Asafetida flowers

www.ibiblio.org/herbmed ? Henriette Kress
The horrible smell of fresh asafetida indeed justifies the name ?devil's dung?; when I first heard of asafetida's culinary use, I suspected that the person claiming that asafetida was a spice in Indian cooking was pulling my leg (I knew the smell from previous experience). Nevertheless, it's true, and today, asafetida is one of my favourite spices.

More than two millennia ago, asafetida was already in use in Europe: Legend has it that it was encountered by the soldiers of Alexander the Great on their march through Central Asia. The conquests of Alexander opened trade routes that made Eastern commodities available in the Mediterranean region, and like black pepper, asafetida established itself quickly on the new market. It was used in ancient Greek and Roman cuisines, often as a substitute for the expensive North African silphion. After the latter's extinction, asafetida became even more common, and continued to be used though the early Middle Ages (for example, to flavour barbecued mutton in France). Later, however, its popularity ceased: After the 16.th century, it is no more mentioned in European cookbooks.
Ferula asafoetida/assa-foetida: Sterile devil's dung
Sterile asafetida plant (spring shoots)
Ferula assa-foetida/asafoetida: Asafetida flower
Asafetida blossoms shortly before bloom
Ferula assa-foetida: Hing plant
Asafoetida plant in flower

In Central Asia and India, however, asafetida has remained in important culinary spice and also herbal medicine to this day. It is much used in Persian cooking, and especially popular in India. In some parts of the country (notably, Bengal; see nigella about some peculiarities of Bengali cooking), the brahmins refuse to eat onions and garlic and often use asafetida instead. Also in the cuisines of other North Indian places, it is not common to combine asafetida with either garlic or onion, even if no taboo applies to the latter.

In the Dravidian South, asafetida is even more popular. The Tamil (South Indian) spice mixture sambaar podi (see cumin) frequently contains asafetida. Although exceptions exist, asafetida has the reputation of being a spice for vegetables, not meats; now vegetarianism is more common in South India than in the North, which probably explains why asafetida is so much associated with South India, although its natural habitat lies in the North.

Asafetida is a good example for the overlapping of culinary and medicinal use of a plant. Particularly in South India, asafetida is almost canonical for the preparation of legumes (beans, peas, lentils), which are collectively known as dal [दाल] in India. Dal is a chief element of the Indian diet, as it is not only a cheap source of protein, but also one of the few protein sources open to vegetarians. Moreover, dried legumes are easy to store and have a long shelf life. However, being rich in indigestible oligosaccharids, they call for spices with prominent antiflatulence action. Asafetida, garlic and cumin are commonly used to make dal both more tasty and less cumbersome. Other countries have their own indigenous spices with similar medicinal properties, e.g., savory in Europe and epazote in M?xico; both herbs contain strongly disinfecting components in their essential oils.

Usage of asafetida differs a little bit for the powdered form and the pure resin. The resin is very strongly scented and must be used with care; furthermore, it is absolutely necessary to fry the resin quickly in hot oil (see also ajwain). This has two reasons: First, the resin dissolves in the hot fat and gets better dispersed in the food, and second, the high temperature changes the taste to a more pleasant impression. A pea-sized amount is considered a large amount, sufficient to flavour a large pot of food. Powdered asafetida, on the other hand, is less intense and may be added without frying, although then the aroma develops less deeply. Lastly, powdered asafetida loses its aroma after some years, but the resin seems to be imperishable (maybe, in some more ten years, I'll substitute seems in the last sentence by is).

Daring cooks will find asafetida an interesting alternative to onion and garlic, even for Western dishes. Careful dosage is, though, essential; in ancient Rome, asafetida was stored in jars together with pine nuts, which were alone used to flavour delicate dishes. Another method is dissolving asafetida in hot oil and adding the oil drop by drop to the food. If used with sufficient moderation, asafetida enhances mushroom and vegetable dishes, but can also be used to give fried or barbecued meat a unique flavour.
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from http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/asafetid.html
asafetida
Asafoetida

Ferula assafoetida
Fam: Umbelliferae

Asafoetida gets its name from the Persian aza, for mastic or resin, and the Latin foetidus, for stinking. It is a gum that is from the sap of the roots and stem of the ferula species, a giant fennel that exudes a vile odour. Early records mention that Alexander the Great carried this ?stink finger? west in 4 BC. It was used as a spice in ancient Rome, and although not native to India, it has been used in Indian medicine and cookery for ages. It was believed that asafoetida enhanced singers voices. In the days of the Mughal aristocracy, the court singers if Agra and Delhi would eat a spoonful of asafoetida with butter and practice on the banks of the river Yamuna.

Spice Description
Asafoetida is a hard resinous gum, grayish-white when fresh, darkening with age to yellow, red and eventually brown. It is sold in blocks or pieces as a gum and more frequently as a fine yellow powder, sometimes crystalline or granulated.
Bouquet: a pungent smell of rotting onions or sulfur. The smell dissipates with cooking.
Flavour: on its own, extremely unpleasant, like concentrated rotten garlic. When cooked, it adds an onion-like flavour.
Hotness Scale: 0

Preparation and Storage
It is vital to keep asafoetida in airtight containers as its sulfurous odour will effect other foods and spices. It is most commonly available as a powder or granules that can be added directly to the cooking pot. It is also sold in lumps that need to be crushed before using. This is a very powerful spice and even in its ground state lasts well over a year if stored properly, away from light and air...

Culinary Uses
Use in minute quantities, adding directly to cooking liquid, frying in oil, or steeping in water. Asafoetida is used mostly in Indian vegetarian cooking, in which the strong onion-garlic flavour enhances many dishes, especially those of Brahmin and Jain castes where onions and garlic are prohibited. It is used mostly in south and west India, though it does not grow there. It is used in many lentil dishes (often to prevent flatulence), vegetarian soups and pickles. It is also suited to many fish dishes and some pappadums are seasoned with asafoetida.

Attributed Medicinal Properties
Asafoetida is known as an antidote for flatulence and is also prescribed for respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis and whooping cough. Its vile smell has led to many unusual medical claims, mostly stemming from the belief that it?s foetid odour would act as a deterrent to germs. In several European countries a small piece of the resin would be tied on a string and hung around childrens necks to protect from disease. The shock of the sulfurous smell was once thought to calm hysteria and in the days of the American Wild West it was included in a mixture with other strong spices as a cure for alcoholism.

Plant Description and Cultivation
Asafoetida is grown chiefly in Iran and Afghanistan from where it is exported to the rest of the world. In India it is cultivated in Kashmir. It is a perennial fennel that grows wild to 3.6 metres (12 ft) high, in large natural forests where little else grows. It bears fine leaves and yellow flowers. The roots are thick and pulpy and also yield a similar resin to that of the stems. All parts of the plant have the distinctive fetid smell. In March and April, just before flowering, the stalks are cut close to the root. A milky liquid oozes out, which dries to form a resin. This is collected and a fresh cut is made. This procedure lasts for about three months from the first incision, by which time the plant has yielded up to two pounds of resin and the root has dried up.

Other Names
Asafetida, Assafetida, Assafoetida, Devil?s Dung, Devil?s Durt, Food of the Gods (Persian), Laser (Roman), Stinking Gum
French: assa foetida, ferulr perisque
German: Asafotida, Stinkender Asant
Italian: assafetida
Spanish: asafetida
Afghan: kama-i-anguza
Indian: hing, hingu, heeng
Tamil: perunkaya

Neupane,
Thanks for the info about Timbur. It was really enlightning. I once gave some to my American friend who got really curious with the taste and took it took his spice expert(quote and quote). The next time she saw me, told me the same thing that it was illegial to possess the spice and I laughed my ass off, did not believe her, but looks like it's true. Here in the NorthWest, one of my friend even has a Timbur tree in his backyard which he (Nepali) treasures the most.

Tamatar or Tree Tomato or Cyphomandra betacea or Tamarillo
I love its achar but it always makes some glands or tissues real hard on my tongue that lasts for few days. Is it just me or for all ????


from -http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/tree_tomato.html
Tree Tomato; Cyphomandra betacea Sendt.; Cyphomandra hartwegi Sendt.Solanum betaceum Cav.
The tree tomato, Cyphomandra betacea Sendt. (C. hartwegi Sendt.; Solanum betaceum Cav.) is the best-known of about 30 species of Cyphomandra (family Solanaceae). Among its various regional names are: tomate, tomate extranjero, tomate de arbol, tomate granadilla, granadilla, pix, and caxlan pix (Guatemala); tomate de palo (Honduras); arvore do tomate, tomate de arvore (Brazil); lima tomate, tomate de monte, sima (Bolivia); pepino de arbol (Colombia); tomate dulce (Ecuador); tomate cimarron (Costa Rica); and tomate franc?s (Venezuela, Brazil). In 1970, or shortly before, the construed name "tamarillo" was adopted in New Zealand and has become the standard commercial designation for the fruit.

The plant is a small, half-woody, attractive, fast-growing, brittle tree; shallow-rooted; reaching 10 to 18 ft (3-5.5 m) in height; rarely as much as 25 ft (7.5 m). The leaves are muskily odorous, evergreen, alternate, more or less heart-shaped at the base, ovate, pointed at the apex, 4 to 13 1/2 in (10-35 cm) long and 1 1/2 to 4 3/4 in (4-12 cm) broad, thin, softly hairy, with conspicuous coarse veins. Borne in small, loose clusters near the branch tips, the fragrant flowers, 1/2 to 3/4 in (1.25-2 cm) wide, have 5 pale-pink or lavender, pointed lobes, 5 prominent yellow stamens, and green-purple calyx. The long-stalked, pendent fruit, borne singly, or in clusters of 3 to 12, is smooth, egg-shaped but pointed at both ends and capped with the persistent conical calyx. In size it ranges from 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) long and l 1/2 to 2 in (4-5 cm) in width. Skin color may be solid deep-purple, blood-red, orange or yellow, or red-and-yellow, and may have faint dark, longitudinal stripes. Flesh color varies accordingly from orange-red or orange to yellow or cream-yellow. While the skin is somewhat tough and unpleasant in flavor, the outer layer of flesh is slightly firm, succulent and bland, and the pulp surrounding the seeds in the two lengthwise compartments is soft, juicy, subacid to sweet; it is black in dark-purple and red fruits, yellow in yellow and orange fruits. The seeds are thin, nearly flat, circular, larger and harder than those of the true tomato and distinctly bitter. The fruit has a slightly resinous aroma and the flavor suggests a mild or underripe tomato with a faintly resinous aftertaste.


Origin and Distribution
Although its place of origin is not certain, the tree tomato is generally believed to be native to the Andes of Peru and probably also Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia where it is extensively grown, as it is also in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. It is cultivated and naturalized in Venezuela and grown in the highlands of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Haiti.

It must have been carried at an early date to East Africa, Asia and the East Indies, as it is well established in the Nilgiri heights and the hills of Assam in southern India, and in the mountains of Malaya, and was popular in Ceylon and the Dutch East Indies before 1903. It has been grown in Queensland, Australia, in home gardens, for many years and is a practical crop in the highlands of the Australian part of New Guinea.

D. Hay & Sons, nurserymen, introduced the tree tomato into New Zealand in 1891 and commercial growing on a small scale began about 1920. Shortages of tropical fruits in World War II justified an increased level of production. A promotional campaign was launched in 1961; window banners and 100,000 recipe leaflets were distributed. This small industry prospered until 1967 when annual production reached a peak of 2,000 tons. There was a heavy loss of trees at Kerikeri in 1968. Replanting took place there and at the Bay of Plenty and cultivation of this crop continues to expand. In 1970, there were 209,110 trees on 476 acres (130 ha) in New Zealand. Shipment of the fresh fruits to Australia has not been very successful and the surplus crop is being delivered to processors for the making of preserves.

The United States Department of Agriculture received seeds from Argentina in 1913; from Sumatra and Ceylon in 1926. The plant was fruiting at the United States Department of Agriculture's Plant Introduction Station at Chico, California, in 1915. It is still grown casually in California and occasionally in Florida. It is frequently advertised and sold throughout the United States for growing indoors in pots as a curiosity. It fruits satisfactorily in northern greenhouses.

Propagation
Seeds or cuttings may be used for propagation. Seeds produce a high-branched, erect tree, ideal for sheltered locations. Cuttings develop into a shorter, bushy plant with low-lying branches, suitable for exposed, windy sites. The tree does not always come true from seed, but is most likely to if one is careful to take seed from red fruits with black seed pulp or yellow fruits with yellow seed pulp.

In Brazil, seeds for planting are first washed, dried in the shade, and then placed in a freezer for 24 hours to accelerate germination. They are then planted in boxes of rich soil?12 in (30 cm) between plants and 24 in (60 cm) between rows?and virtually 100% will germinate in 4 to 6 days.

Culture

The seedlings are set out in the field when 2 to 2 3/4 in (5-7 cm) high, spaced 32 in (80 cm) apart in rows 6 1/2 ft (2 m) apart. In New Zealand, the trees are set 8 to 10 ft (2.5-3 m) apart in paired rows 8 ft (2.5 m) apart with 14 ft (4.25 m) between each pair. If the soil is very rich, 9 ft (2.75 m) is allowed between the rows and 16 ft (5 m) between the pairs. Closer planting is recommended in windy, unprotected locations?5 to 6 ft (1.5-1.8 m) between the plants and 8 to 10 ft (2.5-3 m) between the rows, and the trees may be staked to prevent swaying and disturbing the roots. In India, the trees are set out in pits 4 to 5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) apart.

Cuttings should be of 1- to 2-year-old wood 3/8 to 1 in (10-25 mm) thick and 18 to 30 in (45-75 cm) long; the leaves are removed and the base cut square below a node. They can be planted directly in the field and, while precocious, should not be permitted to fruit in the first year.

Recommended fertilizer application is 0.5 to 2.2 lbs (0.25-1.0 kg) per tree of NPK 5:6:6, half in early spring and half in midsummer. In the 5th or 6th year, the grower is advised to give a special feeding of 2 parts superphosphate, 1 1/2 parts nitrate of soda, 1 part sulphite of potash, in late winter or early spring, at the rate of 2 to 3 lbs (1-1.5 kg) per plant?approximately 10 to 16 cwt per acre, or 100 kg per hectare.

Because of the shallow root system, deep cultivation is not possible, but light cultivation is desirable to eliminate weeds until there is sufficient vegetative growth to shade them out.

Seedling trees are pruned back the first year after planting to a height of 3 or 4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) to encourage branching. Annual pruning thereafter is advisable to eliminate branches that have already fruited and induce ample new shoots close to the main branches, inasmuch as fruit is produced on new growth. Otherwise, the tree will develop a broad top with fruits only on the outer fringe. And wide-spreading branches are subject to wind damage. Pruning facilitates harvesting and, if timed appropriately, can extend the total fruiting period. Early spring pruning of some of the owners' trees brings about early maturity; fall pruning of other trees delays fruit maturity to the following fall.

Irrigation

The tree tomato cannot tolerate prolonged drought and must have an ample water supply during extremely dry periods. A mulch is very beneficial in conserving moisture at such times.

Pollination

Tree tomato flowers are normally self-pollinating. If wind is completely cut off so as not to stir the branches, this may adversely affect pollination unless there are bees to transfer the pollen. Unpollinated flowers will drop prematurely.

Cropping and Yield

The tree usually begins to bear when 1 1/2 to 2 years old and continues to be productive for 5 or 6 years. If then adequately nourished, it may keep on fruiting for 11 to 12 years. In Brazil, each tree is expected to yield 44 to 66 lbs (20-30 kg) of fruit annually.

The crop does not ripen simultaneously and several pickings are necessary. The fruits are clipped, leaving about 1/2 in (12.5 cm) of stem attached. They are collected in bags worn by the harvesters.

In New Zealand, the fruits are sorted by size?small, medium and large?and packed in paper-lined wooden boxes for marketing. Because of its firm flesh and tough skin, the fruit can be shipped long distances without bruising. However, it deteriorates rather rapidly under ordinary storage conditions.

Pests and Diseases

The tree tomato is generally regarded as fairly pest-resistant. A looper caterpillar makes large holes in the leaves of young plants in the nursery but causes little damage to trees in the field. Occasionally the plants are attacked by the green aphis.

In South America and the Caribbean, the fruits are subject to attack by fruit flies?Anastrepha sp. and Carpolonchaea pendula (syn. Silba pendula). In Colombia, the tree tomato has been found to be the preferred host of the tree tomato worm (Neoleucinodes sp.) which infests also the tomato and the eggplant. The larvae feed on the fruits and cause heavy losses. Rigorous spraying and sanitary measures are required to reduce losses and means of biological control are being sought.

The tree tomato is noted for its resistance to tobacco mosaic virus, though it is susceptible to cucumber mosaic virus and potato virus. Die-back, of unknown origin, at times is lethal to the flowers, fruit cluster, twigs and new shoots. A strain of Arabis mosaic virus (which, in combination with two other unidentified viruses, causes sunken necrotic rings on the fruit surface) was reported in two plantations in the TePuke-Tauranga area of New Zealand in 1971, together with the identification of its vector, the nematode Xiphinema diversicaudatum.

Food Uses

Ripe tree tomatoes may be merely cut in half lengthwise, sprinkled with sugar and served for eating by scooping out the flesh and pulp. Or the halves may be seasoned and grilled or baked for 15 minutes for service as a vegetable. The fruit should not be cut on a wooden or other permeable surface, as the juice will make an indelible stain. For other purposes, the skin must be removed and this is easily done by pouring boiling water over the fruit and letting it stand for 4 minutes, then peeling is begun at the stem end. The peeled fruit can then be sliced and the slices added to stews or soups, or served with a sprinkling of sugar and perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Seasoned with salt and pepper, the slices can serve as sandwich-filling or may be used in salads. Chopped slices are blended with cream cheese and used as sandwich spread.

Peeled, diced fruits, with diced onion, breadcrumbs, butter and appropriate seasonings are employed as stuffing for roast lamb. Tree tomato slices, alone, or combined with sliced apple, are cooked in pies. They may be packed in preserving jars with water or sugar sirup and cooked for 55 minutes, or may be put into plastic containers with a 50% sirup and quick-frozen for future use in pies or puddings. The peeled fruits can be pureed in a blender or by cooking, strained to remove the seeds and then packed in plastic containers and frozen. Lemon juice may be added to the puree' to enhance flavor. The peeled, stewed fruits are combined with gelatin, milk, sugar and lemon juice to make a dessert which is then garnished with fresh tree tomato slices. Peeled, sliced and seeded tree tomatoes, with lemon rind, lemon juice and sugar, are cooked to a jam; or, with onions and apples, are made into chutney. Chutney is prepared commercially in a factory in Auckland, New Zealand. Being high in pectin, the fruit is easily made into jelly but the fruit oxidizes and discolors without special treatment during processing. Whole, peeled fruits, with sugar, are cooked to a sauce for use on ice cream. The peeled fruits may be pickled whole, or may be substituted for tomatoes in a hot chili sauce.

Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion*

Moisture 82.7-87.8
Protein 1.5 g
Carbohydrates 10.3 g
Fat (ether extract) 0.06-1.28 g
Fiber 1.4-4.2 g
Nitrogen 0.223-0.445 g
Ash 0.61-0.84 g
Calcium 3.9-11.3 mg
Phosphorus (with seeds) 52.5-65.5 mg
(without seeds) 13.1 mg
Iron 0.66-0.94 mg
Carotene 0.371-0.653 mg
(or calculated as Vitamin A) 540 I.U.
Thiamine 0.038-0.137 mg
Riboflavin 0.035-0.048 mg
Niacin (with seeds) 1.10-1.38 mg
(without seeds) 1.011 mg
Ascorbic Acid** 23.3-33.9 mg

*Analyses made in Ecuador, Guatemala and India.

**Most of the ascorbic acid is lost in cooking.
Last updated: 3/29/99 by ch

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Chutro or chitra or Berberis aristata
This one may be something new to most nepalese from city areas as it is more popular in villages. I found some in the banks of Nakkhu river in lalitpur near Sunakothi area. It is sweet berry and colors tongue with blackish purple color...
The fruits become purple-black when ripe.
That's the one I ate, but there are diff. varieties that become red, black, blue etc when ripe...



Its barks and roots are used to obtain yellow dye for paintings and other fabrics.
It has many herbal medicinal uses as well...
from:http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/parmar/03.htmlBerberis aristata DC.

Family: Berberidaceae
English names: Indian barberry, tree turmeric

Indian names: darhaldi (Bengal), kashmoi (Garhwal), rasont, kashmal (Himachal Pradesh), chitra, dar-hald, rasaut, kashmal (Hindi), maradarisina, maramanjal, (Kerala), daruhald (Maharashtra), chitra, chutro (Nepal),

chitra, kasmal. simlu, sumlu (Punjab) mullukala, usikkala (Tamil Nadu), daruharidra, darvi, kata, pitadaru, suvarnavarna (Sanskrit).

Berberis aristata DC. is an erect spinous shrub, often found in small patches on the bill slopes. It is one of very important medicinal plants. Almost every part of this plant has some medicinal value. Its roots, stem, bark and fruits are used in many ayurvedic preparations.

This shrub is found growing wild in the sub-Himalayan tract at altitude ranging from 850-2,500 metres. It also grows in the Nilgiris and in Ceylon (Brandis, 1906).

Morphology

An erect spiny shrub, ranging between 2 and 3 metres in height wood, hard and yellow; bark, yellow to brown from outside and deep yellow from inside, removable in longitudinal strips by hand; spines (which, in fact, are modified leaves), three-branched and 1.5 cm long.

Leaves, in tufts of 5 to 8, phyllotaxy verticillate, lanceolate, simple spiny, toothed, leathery, sessile, acuminate, with reticulate pinnate venation, 4.9 cm. long, 1.8 cm. broad, deep green on the dorsal surface and light green on the ventral surface.

Flowers, stalked, yellow, complete, hermaphrodite, cyclic, actinomorphic, perigynous, the average diameter of a fully opened flower being 12.5 mm; inflorescence, a simple to corymbose raceme, with 11 to 16 flowers per cluster; calyx, yellow, polysepalous, with 6 sepals (3 small, 3 large), yellow, actinomorphic caducous, 4 to 5 mm long; corolla, polypetalous, with 6 petals, yellow, actinomorphic, 4 to 5 mm long; androecium, polyandrous, with 6 stamens, adnate, 5 to 6 mm long; gynoecium, one, 4 to 5 mm long, with a short style and a broad stigma.

Fruits, globose to ovoid, usually covered with bloom as in plums, 7 mm long, 4 mm in diameter, weighing 227 mg, 237 microlitres in volume; fruit colour, aconite violet 937; colour of pulp and juice, plum purple 934/3.

Seeds, 2 to 5, varying in colour from yellow to pink, each weighing 25 mg and being 29 microlitres in volume.

The flowering and fruiting season

Flowering in Berberis aristata DC. starts from the first fortnight of March and remains in progress up to the end of April. The peak flowering season under Solan conditions was recorded to be from 8-25 April. The fruits start ripening from the second week of May and continue to do so throughout June. They can be retained on the shrub after ripening for quite a long period, but they fall off soon after the onset of rains. The fruiting season, therefore, ends abruptly with the commencement of the rainy season.

Yield

An average-sized bush of Berberis aristata DC. was found to yield 657 g of fruits in about 4 pickings.

Chemical composition of the fruit

The extractable juice of the fruit is 26.6 per cent. The fruit contains 63.4 per cent moisture. The total soluble solids of the juice amount to 18.90 per cent, having 1.07 per cent acidity, 11.97 per cent total sugars, most of which are in the from of reducing sugars. The fruit contains 0.64 per cent tannins and 0.37 per cent pectin. Its vitamin C content is only 4.60 mg per 100 ml of juice.

The protein content of the fruit is 2.31 per cent. Its total mineral content, as represented by ash, is 2.052 per cent. In the fruit, the percentage of different mineral elements, viz. phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron are 0.079, 0.439, 0.065, 0.061 and 0.011 respectively.

Medicinal properties

The fruits of Berberis aristata DC. are given as a cooling laxative to children. The stem is said to be diaphoretic and laxative and useful in rheumatism. The dried extract of the roots is used as an application in ophthalmia. It is also an excellent medication in the case of sun-blindness The bark of its root is a valuable medicine in intermittent and remittent fevers. The root is one of the few really good medicines in India. In its efficacy, it is almost equal to quinine and Warburg's tincture. It does not produce any bad effects on the stomach, the bowels, the brain and the organs of hearing (Watt, 1889).

A very valuable preparation called rasaut is prepared from this plant. For preparing rasaut, the bark of the root and of the lower part of the stem is boiled in water, strained and evaporated till a semi-solid mass (rasaut) is obtained. Rasaut is fairly soluble in water. It is mixed with butter and alum, or with opium and lime-juice and is applied externally to the eyelids to cure ophthalmia and other eye diseases (Jain, 1968). It is also reported to be a mild laxative, a tonic and is useful in curing ulcers and fevers (Kirtikar and Basu, 1938; Uphof, 1968).

Dastur (1962) has reported that the chief constituent of Berberis aristata DC. is barberine, which is a bitter alkaloid. According to him, rasaut is used as a purgative for children and as a blood-purifier, a tonic and a febrifuge. It is also given in diarrhoea, jaundice and skin diseases. A watery solution of this preparation is also used for washing piles, Oriental sores and glandular swellings.

Dessert quality

The small fruits with their seeds are sweet, with a blend of acid. They are slightly bitter and the bitterness is due to the seeds. The taste and flavour of the fruits is good.

Utilization

The fruits of Berberis aristata DC. are eaten by the villagers in the hills. They are also offered for sale at some places, mostly near schools, because they are very much liked by children. Even sun-dried fruits are eaten, being quite palatable.

The fruits are juicy and contain plenty of sugars and other useful constituents. Efforts should, therefore, be made to develop some products out of this wild fruit.

Berberis aristata DC. is a very important plant from the medicinal point of view. Its stem, roots and fruits are used in many ayurvedic preparations. Rasaut is one of the very important and useful preparations obtained from this plant and is used in curing many human ailments. The roots of this plant are also used for making an alcoholic drink by the villagers in the hills.

This plant is also an important source of dye and tannin and is used for dyeing clothes and for tanning leather. According to Watt (1889), it is perhaps one of the best tanning dyes available in India.

The one I got chance to taste is this one ;-)

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The one I got chance to taste is this one ;-) -- missed the pic above...
this is available in kathmandu valley....

LEMON: Kaagati
from http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Citrus+limon&CAN=COMIND
Citrus limon
Common name: Lemon Family: Rutaceae
Author: (L.) Burm. f. Botanical references: 200
Synonyms: Citrus x limonia (Osbeck.), Citrus limonum (Risso.)
Known Hazards: None known
Range: Original range is obscure, possible Asia.
Habitat: Original habitat is obscure, probably a hybrid involving C. medica x C. aurantifolia[200].
Plants For A Future Rating (1-5): 3

Other Possible Synonyms: From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
C. limonia[G] C. medica[H] C. medica limon[H] C. medica var. limon[G,H] C. taitensis[G,P] C. volkameriana[G]
Other Common Names: From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Citrus [P], Lemon [H,B,E,P], Lemun Hamedh [E], Lemun Tresh [E], Limon [E], Limonero [E], Miski [E],
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Australia; Chile; Ecuador(Jivaro); Gabon; Iraq; Kurdistan; Peru; Spain; Turkey
Plant Passport required for Trade in UK/EU From DEFRA Plant passporting.
Plant Passport Required for trade in the UK/Europe.
Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 3m by 1m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower all year. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Apomictic (reproduce by seeds formed without sexual fusion) and insects. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 3 out of 5 for usefulness.

The plant prefers medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Cultivar 'Meyers Lemon': Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.
Edible Uses
Condiment; Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[1, 3, 46]. A very acid taste[61]. Mainly used as a drink and as a flavouring[183, 238]. It is also used in salad dressings etc where it acts as an antioxidant as well as imparting an acid flavour[183]. The juice is used to help set jam[238]. The fruit can be up to 15cm long and 7cm wide[200].

The dried rind of the fruit is often used as a flavouring in cakes etc[1, 4, 61, 183].

The dried leaves are sometimes mixed with tea leaves for use as a flavouring[183].

An essential oil from the rind is used as a food flavouring[46, 64, 183].

The flowers are eaten in ice creams, fritters, jams etc[183].
Composition

Fruit (Fresh weight)
In grammes per 100g weight of food:
Water: 90 Calories: 28 Protein: 0.8 Fat: 0.5 Carbohydrate: 8.2 Fibre: 0.6 Ash: 5.4
In milligrammes per 100g weight of food:
Calcium: 33 Phosphorus: 15 Iron: 0.5 Sodium: 3 Potassium: 137 VitaminA: 12 Thiamine: 0.5 Riboflavin: 0.02 Niacin: 0.1 VitaminC: 52
Source: [218]
Notes: The figures given here are the median of a range given in the report.

Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer

Antibacterial; Antiperiodic; Antiscorbutic; Aromatherapy; Astringent; Carminative; Miscellany; Refrigerant; Rubefacient; Stimulant; Stomachic.

Lemons are an excellent preventative medicine and have a wide range of uses in the domestic medicine chest. The fruit is rich in vitamin C which helps the body to fight off infections and also to prevent or treat scurvy[4, 240, 254]. It was at one time a legal requirement that sailors should be given an ounce of lemon each day in order to prevent scurvy[4]. Applied locally, the juice is a good astringent and is used as a gargle for sore throats etc[4]. Lemon juice is also a very effective bactericide[7]. It is also a good antiperiodic and has been used as a substitute for quinine in treating malaria and other fevers[4].

Although the fruit is very acid, once eaten it has an alkalizing effect upon the body[254]. This makes it useful in the treatment of rheumatic conditions[254].

The skin of the ripe fruit is carminative and stomachic[240].

The essential oil from the skin of the fruit is strongly rubefacient and when taken internally in small doses has stimulating and carminative properties[4].

The stem bark is bitter, stomachic and tonic[218].

An essential oil from the fruit rind is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Refreshing'[210].

Citrus species contain a wide range of active ingredients and research is still underway in finding uses for them. They are rich in vitamin C, bioflavonoids, acids and volatile oils. They also contain coumarins such as bergapten which sensitizes the skin to sunlight. Bergapten is sometimes added to tanning preparations since it promotes pigmentation in the skin, though it can cause dermatitis or allergic responses in some people[238]. Some of the plants more recent applications are as sources of anti-oxidants and chemical exfoliants in specialized cosmetics[238].

The bioflavonoids in the fruit help to strengthen the inner lining of blood vessels, especially veins and capillaries, and help counter varicose veins and easy bruising[254].
Other Uses
Cleanser; Essential; Oil; Polish; Pot-pourri; Repellent.

A semi-drying oil obtained from the seed is used in soap making[46, 61].

An essential oil from the peel is used as a food flavouring and also in perfumery and medicines[7, 46, 61]. A higher quality essential oil is obtained from the flowers[7]. The peel contains 0.4% essential oil[240].

An essential oil obtained from the leaves and young twigs is called 'petitgrain oil'. Yields are around 0.4%[240].

The dried fruit rind has been used as an insect repellent in the clothes cupboard[7] and also in pot-pourri[238].

The juice of the fruit is used for polishing bronze and other metals that have been neglected[7]. It can also be used for removing ink stains[7].

Wood - nicely veined, it takes a beautiful polish[4].


Cultivation details
Prefers a moderately heavy loam with a generous amount of compost and sand added and a very sunny position[1, 200]. Prefers a pH between 5 and 6[200]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 8.3. Plants are intolerant of water logging[3]. When growing plants in pots, a compost comprising equal quantities of loam and leafmould plus a little charcoal should produce good results[260]. Do not use manure since Citrus species dislike it[260]. When watering pot plants it is important to neither overwater or underwater since the plant will soon complain by turning yellow and dying. Water only when the compost is almost dry, but do not allow it to become completely dry[260].

Dormant plants can withstand temperatures down to about -6?c so long as this is preceded by a spell of 2 - 3 weeks of cool weather to allow the plant to acclimatize[3]. If the change from mild to cold weather is more sudden then the plant will still be in growth and will be much more susceptible to damage and can be harmed by temperatures below 0?c[3]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. It is best if a winter minimum of 4?c is maintained[3].

The lemon is widely grown for its edible fruit in warm temperate and tropical zones, there are many named varieties[183]. In Britain it can be grown in a pot that is placed outdoors in the summer and brought into a greenhouse for the winter[3].

By budding onto hardier species such as C. aurantium, C. ichangensis or Poncirus trifoliata, the lemon becomes more cold tolerant and its climatic range can be somewhat extended[3].

The flowers are sweetly scented[245].

Plants dislike root disturbance and so should be placed into their permanent positions when young. If growing them in pots, great care must be exercised when potting them on into larger containers[238].
Propagation
The seed is best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it ripe after thoroughly rinsing it[164, 200]. Sow stored seed in March in a greenhouse[3]. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 13?c. Seedlings are liable to damp off so they must be watered with care and kept well ventilated. The seed is usually polyembrionic, two or more seedlings arise from each seed and they are genetically identical to the parent but they do not usually carry any virus that might be present in the parent plant[200]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least three growing seasons before trying them outdoors. Plant them out in the summer and give them some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Layering in October.
Scent

Leaves:
No details on scent.
Flowers: Fresh
The flowers are sweetly scented.

Cultivars

'Villa Franca'
An almost thornless plant producing medium to large fruits[260].
'Quatre Saisons' 'Eureka'
An everbearing variety, producing fruits all year round[260]. Commonly grown in Mediterranean areas[260].
'Ponderosa'
The plant has a dwarf habit but produces large fruits[260].
'Imperial'
Produces larger fruits than the species[260].

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सि होफकिन्स बि क्याफेमो एम् जी एम् एन् कुजन सि एल् टु C H O PH(I) K N S MG Mn Cu Zn Cl2 --- नेउपाने सर, कुन फलफुलको लागि हैन?, कुन तत्त्व कति % चाहिन्छ त्यो पुनि लेख्दिम न। अनि "ऐसेलु" आयो?

Wow very informative thread...thank you hai...

%daily nutrients...
दादा गिरीलाइ chemistry formula त कन्ठै रैछ ;-)
अब हामीलाइ एकदिनमा चाहिने तत्व इनै हुन् :
from
Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling

(Based on a 2000 Calorie Intake; for Adults and Children 4 or More Years of Age)

Nutrient Unit of Measure Daily Values
Total Fat grams (g) 65
Saturated fatty acids grams (g) 20
Cholesterol milligrams (mg) 300
Sodium milligrams (mg) 2400
Potassium milligrams (mg) 3500
Total carbohydrate grams (g) 300
Fiber grams (g) 25
Protein grams (g) 50

Nutrient Unit of Measure Daily Values
Vitamin A International Unit (IU) 5000
Vitamin C milligrams (mg) 60
Calcium milligrams (mg) 1000
Iron milligrams (mg) 18
Vitamin D International Unit (IU) 400
Vitamin E International Unit (IU) 30
Vitamin K micrograms (?g) 80
Thiamin milligrams (mg) 1.5
Riboflavin milligrams (mg) 1.7
Niacin milligrams (mg) 20
Vitamin B6 milligrams (mg) 2.0
Folate micrograms (?g) 400
Vitamin B12 micrograms (?g) 6.0
Biotin micrograms (?g) 300
Pantothenic acid milligrams (mg) 10
Phosphorus milligrams (mg) 1000
Iodine micrograms (?g) 150
Magnesium milligrams (mg) 400
Zinc milligrams (mg) 15
Selenium micrograms (?g) 70
Copper milligrams (mg) 2.0
Manganese milligrams (mg) 2.0
Chromium micrograms (?g) 120
Molybdenum micrograms (?g) 75
Chloride milligrams (mg) 3400

REV. Jan 30, 1998

Nutrients in this table are listed in the order in which they are required to appear on a label in accordance with 101.9(c)

This list includes only those nutrients for which a Daily Reference Value (DRV) has been established in 101.9(c)(9) or a Reference Daily Intake (RDI) in in 101.9(c)(8)(iv).

Kaphal = काफल
Myrica Nagi or Myrica Esculenta or Myrica Rubra...
All of these and many more varieties may be available in Nepal...
This is Myrica Nagi:


Physical Characteristics
From http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Myrica+nagi&CAN=LATIND
An evergreen tree growing to 12m. . It is in leaf all year. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Wind. The plant not is self-fertile. It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 2 out of 5 for usefulness.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Sunny Edge.
Edible Uses
Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[2]. Sweet with a pleasant blend of acid, they are very pleasant eating[193]. About 13mm in diameter[194]. The fruit contains about 12.6% sugar, 1% protein, 0.4% ash[194]. Low in vitamin C, about 4.1mg per 100ml[194]. The fruit does not keep well, only lasting in good condition for 2 - 3 days after picking[194]. Yields from mature trees can be as high as 25kg per year, but are more often around 15.5kg[194].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer

Antirheumatic; Antiseptic; Aromatic; Astringent; Carminative; Febrifuge; Ophthalmic; Rubefacient; Stimulant.

Antirheumatic, aromatic, ophthalmic and stimulant[146, 158, 194].

The bark is antiseptic, astringent and carminative[240]. It has proved useful in the treatment of fevers, asthma and coughs[240]. Mixed with ginger, it is used as a rubefacient in the treatment of cholera[240].
Other Uses
Dye; Tannin; Wax; Wood.

A wax covering on the fruit is extracted by scalding the fruit with boiling water and immersing them for a few minutes, the wax floats to the surface and is then skimmed off. The fruit is then boiled in water to extract the wax from the pulp and once more the wax is skimmed off. It is then strained through a muslin cloth and can be used to make aromatic candles. Candles made from this wax are quite brittle but are less greasy in warm weather[213]. They are slightly aromatic and do not smoke when put out, making them much more pleasant to use that wax or tallow candles[213]. The wax is also used in making soaps[213].

A yellow dye is obtained from the bark[146].

The plant is a source of tannin[146]. (Probably the bark or the leaves[K].)
This is Myrica Esculenta:



Wood - hard, close-grained. a good fuel[158].
Cultivation details
Prefers a moist soil. Grows well in an open position in a well-drained soil in sun or light shade[200]. Thrives in any ordinary garden soil. Prefers a lime-free loamy or peaty soil[1].

We are not sure how hardy this plant will be in Britain, it is unlikely to succeed outside the very mildest areas of the country. There is also some confusion between this species and M. rubra, it is possible that they are the same.

The fruit is sold in local markets in the Himalayas[194]. It ripens over a fairly long period, so is not suitable for commercial cultivation[194].

Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Many species in this genus have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Barely cover the seed and keep it moist. Stored seed germinates more freely if given a 3 month cold stratification and then sown in a cold frame. Germination is usually good[78]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in the cold frame for the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer[K].

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up and overwinter in a cold frame. Fair to good percentage[78].

Cuttings of mature wood in November/December in a frame.

Layering in spring[200].

Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions.
***************************
We sure have tried it with salt and pepper in kathmandu.
Surya Binayak jungle in Bhaktapur has loads of this fruit.
This is Myrica Rubra:

Whoa ! That's quite a lot of info. Must've taken quite some time to collect. Thanks for the intel @Neupane.

Pssst....Could you please tell me what Durian is called in Nepali ? I confused it with Jackfruit when I first saw it, the effects of which certainly were not pleasant ! :S :S

hmmm.....
ladycroft,
i don't think it has nepali name as far as i know.
i have not seen durian in Nepal. it is a tropical fruit from Indonesia region...

i am finding very little info on Ainselu or ऐँसेलु
i found close match but not the exact match and i don't want to post a different species than what is available in nepal. I'm pretty sure it is grouped under raspberries and cloudberries seems similar but not the same.
i've gone through checking every available wild berries and still couldn't come with exact match...
some botany expert is needed here... give me botanical name for that :-)

Botanical name for ainselu is:

ainselunepalenis

;)

paucity of info on ainselu, and our knowledge that it is plentiful in nepal, gives us right to name this delicious wild berry.

~
Neupane Ji,
Thanks for reminding me "Chutro"
We used to eat lots of Chutro in "gothalo jada" in my village. I am missing that..................Ohooooooooooooo.....!

not sure if other former gothala gothalni have noticed, but chutro and ainselu tend to grow near each other. here is chutro, and a few walks away there is ainselu ko jhang. same scene can be observed in other localities. is there any relationship between these two wild berries? plucking and eating these berries was one of my pastimes during my gothalo days in the outskirts of ktm. i miss those times as well, and a certain gothali i used to keep eyes on!

Pineapple or भुइँकटहर
Pina
from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Crops/pineapple.html
Bromeliaceae Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.
Source: Magness et al. 1971
Pineapple plants are herbaceous with long, stiff sword-shaped leaves with rough edges. The central stalk, at the terminal of which the single fruit is borne, attains a heighth of 2 to 4 feet. Commercial varieties are seedless and are usually propagated by suckers which develop near the base or terminal of the fruiting stalk. The fruit is composed of the thickened rachis or stalk, in which the numerous fleshy fruitlets, botanically berries, are imbedded. The fleshy, persistent bracts make the surface of the composite fruit greatly roughened and tough. Plants are tender to frost. They blossom 12 to 14 months after setting, and fruit matures about 6 months later. Time of blossoming, can be controlled in part by use of hormone chemicals. Fruits are large, 2 to 6 pounds or more.
Season, bloom to maturity: About 6 months.

Production in U.S.: About 1,000,000 tons.

Use: Mostly canned and juice, some fresh.

Part of fruit consumed: Tender inner flesh, after removal of rough surface and tough fibrous central cylinder. Residue from processing is used as livestock feed.


from http://www.levins.com/pineapple.html
By Hoag Levins
THE PINEAPPLE has served as both a food and a symbol throughout the human history of the Americas. Originally unique to the Western Hemisphere, the fruit was a culinary favorite of the fierce Carib Indians who lived on islands in the sea that still bears their name.

Indian Migration and Commerce
The presence of pineapples on Caribbean islands was not a natural event, but rather the result of centuries of indian migration and commerce. Accomplished dugout canoe navigators, the maritime tribes explored, raided and traded across a vast expanse of tropical oceans, seas and river systems. The herbaceous plant they called "anana," or "excellent fruit," originally evolved in the inland areas of what is now Brazil and Paraguay and was widely transplanted and cultivated. Highly regarded for its intense sweetness, the "excellent fruit" was a staple of indian feasts and rites related to tribal affirmation. It was also used to produce Indian wine.

Christopher Columbus
a pineappleThe first encounter between a European and a pineapple occurred in November, 1493, when Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage to the Caribbean region, lowered anchor in a cove off the lush, volcanic island of Guadaloupe and went ashore to inspect a deserted Carib village. There, amidst parrot-flecked jungle foliage and wooden pillars spiraled with serpent carvings, his crew came upon cook pots filled with human body parts. Nearby were piles of freshly gathered vegetables and fruits, including pineapples. The European sailors ate, enjoyed and recorded the curious new fruit which had an abrasive, segmented exterior like a pine cone and a firm interior pulp like an apple.

Renaissance Europe
The Renaissance Europe to which Columbus returned with his discoveries was a civilization largely bereft of common sweets. Sugar refined from cane was a rare commodity imported at great cost from the middle east and orient. Fresh fruit was also a rare item; orchard-grown fruit being available in only limited varieties for brief periods of time.

Pineapple: Treat of Kings
In such a gastronomic milieu, reports and later samples Food display number 1 of the New World's pineapple--whose ripe yellow pulp literally exploded natural sweetness when chewed--made the fruit an item of celebrity and curiosity for royal gourmet and horticulturist alike. Despite dogged efforts by European gardeners, it was nearly two centuries before they were able to perfect a hothouse method for growing a pineapple plant. Thus, into the 1600s, the pineapple remained so uncommon and coveted a commodity that King Charles II of England posed for an official portrait in an act then symbolic of royal privilege -- receiving a pineapple as a gift.

Pineapples and Colonial America
Across the ocean, the pineapple took on other symbolic meanings in England's American colonies. The colonies were then a land of small, primitive towns and settlements where homes served as the hubs of most community activity. Visiting was the primary means of entertainment, cultural intercourse and news dissemination. The concept of hospitality--the warmth, charm and style with which guests were taken into the home--was a central element of the society's daily emotional life.

Creative Food Display in Colonial America
Creative food display--the main entertainment during a formal home visit--was a means by which a woman declared both her personality and her family's status. Within the bounds of their family's means, hostesses sought to outdo each other in the creation of memorable, fantasy-like dining room scenes. Fancy fish display At such feasts, tabletops resembled small mountain ranges of tiered, pyramided and pedestaled foodstuffs often drizzled and webbed in sugar, studded with china figurines, festooned with flowers and interwoven with garlands of pine and laurel. Dinners were extravaganzas of visual delights, novel tastes, new discoveries and congenial conversation that went on for hours.

Rare Pineapple: King of Colonial Fruits
Table spreadWhile fruits in general--fresh, dried, candied and jellied--were the major attractions of the community's appetite and dining practices, the pineapple was the true celebrity. Its rarity, expense, reputation and striking visual attractiveness made it the ultimate exotic fruit. It was the pineapple that came to literally crown the most important feasts: often held aloft on special pedestals as the pinnacle of the table's central food mound.

The Colonial Pineapple Trade
Ships brought in preserved pineapples from Caribbean islands as expensive sweetmeats--pineapple chunks candied, glazed and packed in sugar. Sailing shipThe actual whole fruit was even more costly and difficult to obtain. Wooden ship travel in the tropics was hot, humid and slow, often rotting pineapple cargoes before they could be landed. Only the speediest ships and most fortuitous weather conditions could deliver ripe, wholesome pineapples to the confectionery shops of cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Annapolis and Williamsburg.

A hostesses's ability to have a pineapple for an important dining event said as much about her rank as it did about her resourcefulness, given that the street trade in available fresh pineapples could be as brisk as it was bitchy. So sought after were the prickly fruits that colonial confectioners sometimes rented them to households by the day. Later, the same fruit was sold to other, more affluent clients who actually ate it. As you might imagine, hostesses would have gone to great lengths to conceal the fact that the pineapple that was the visual apogee of their table display and a central topic of their guests' conversation was only rented.

Pineapple as Hospitality Symbol
Fancy dish number 2 In larger, well-to-do homes, the dining room doors were kept closed to heighten visitors' suspense about the table being readied on the other side. At the appointed moment, and with the maximum amount of pomp and drama, the doors were flung open to reveal the evening's main event. Visitors confronted with pineapple-topped food displays felt particularly honored by a hostess who obviously spared no expense to ensure her guests' dining pleasure.

In this manner, the fruit which was the visual keystone of the feast naturally came to symbolize the high spirits of the social events themselves; the image of the pineapple coming to express the sense of welcome, good cheer, human warmth and family affection inherent to such gracious home gatherings.

Pineapple as Artistic Motif
It is hardly surprising that this communal symbol of friendship and hospitality also became a favorite motif of architects, artisans and craftsmen throughout the colonies. They announced the hospitality of a mansion with carved wood or molded mortar pineapples on its main gate posts such as those shown here at a home in historic Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Pineapple gate posts
Carved wooden pineapple gate posts an a home in Haddonfield, N.J.

They incorporated huge copper and brass pineapples in the weather vanes of their most important public buildings. They sculpted pineapples into door lintels; stenciled pineapples on walls and canvas mats; wove pineapples into tablecloths, napkins, carpets and draperies; and cast pineapples into metal hot plates. There were whole pineapples carved of wood; pineapples executed in the finest china kilns; pineapples painted onto the backs of chairs and tops of chests.

Tabletop Whimsy
Whimsical pineapple shapes and interpretations became a ubiquitous form for "fun" food creations and general table decorations throughout the 1700 and 1800s. There were pineapple-shaped cakes, pineapple-shaped gelatine molds, candies pressed out like small pineapples, pineapples molded of gum and sugar, pineapples made of creamed ice, cookies cut like pineapples and pineapple shapes created by arrangements of other fruits. There were also ceramic bowls formed like pineapples, fruit and sweet trays incorporating pineapple designs, and pineapple pitchers, cups and even candelabras.

During the last century, the art of food display centered around the pineapple has faded to a quaint craft now largely associated with the making of certain kinds of Christmas decorations. These holiday fabrications are one of the few vestiges of an era when all life literally revolved around the dining room table; a less complicated era that left us the enduring icon of the colonial pineapple, a truly American fruit symbolizing our founding society's abiding commitment to hospitality as well as its fondest memories of families, friends and good times.

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नेउपाने सरले चुत्रो ख्वाउनु भो।
ऐसेलु माग्दा *त्रो देखाउनु भो।

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