Botanical Name: Choerospondias axillaris
Family: Anacardiaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Genus: Choerospondias
Species: C. axillaris
Common Names: Lapsi, Nepali hog plum, Lepchipoma in Assamese and Amrda in Bengal.
Habitat: Lapsi is native to much of Asia from India to China to Japan to Bhutan and Nepal. The tree has long been cultivated in rural Nepal for its fruit. The fruit is nutritious and has a price comparable to the mandarin orange on the Nepalese market.
Description:
Lapsi tree is a deciduous tree growing up to 20 meters tall. The smaller branches are purple-brown in color. The compound leaves are up to 40 cm (16 in) long and divided into 3 to 6 papery oval leaflets each up to 12 cm × 4.5 cm (4.7 in × 1.8 in). The tree is dioecious, with male and female trees producing different types of inflorescence. Male flowers occur in long clusters and have curving, brown-veined petals about 3 millimeters long. Female flowers are solitary in leaf axils at the tips of branches. They are larger than the male flowers and yield the edible drupe.
Lapsi fruit is about 3 centimeters long and has a soft whitish sour flesh and green to yellow skin. The fruit is made into pickles, fruit tarts, and sour, spicy candy in Nepal. The tree has long been cultivated in rural Nepal for its fruit. The fruit is nutritious and has a price comparable to the mandarin orange on the Nepalese market.
Edible Uses:
The fruit, when is at its sour green stage is used as a tamarind-like flavoring. They are also used for making ice creams, sweets, jellies and pickles.
Health benefits of Lapsi:
Nutritional Value of Lapsi fruit:
Calories……. 380
Moisture….. 84.8 (83.6-86.0)
Ash….. 4.6(3.9-4.7)
Fat….. 5.9(5.2-6.6)
Protein …….,.14.5(14.0-15.1)
Carbohydrate… 75.0(75.0-75.0)
Na…… 5.0(5.0-5.0)
K…… 639.3(577.6-659.9)
Ca….. 202.1(201.9-202.4)
Carbohydrate profile of the fruit will reveal that it has low simple carbs and high complex carbs; totally it contains 59.38g of carbs. Seeing that carbs are a primary source of energy, prescribed level of use is important. It has average protein content present in it. Given that, it contains high fat, people who are on diet should avoid consuming it. If you are looking for a low-sodium fruit, then Lapsi is a suitable and healthy low-sodium diet for you.
Other Uses:
The fallen fruits are consumed and dispersed by sambar and barking deer.
Besides fruit, the tree yields valuable wood and hard seeds which are burned for fuel, and has parts used medicinally in Vietnam.
Catechin-7-O-glucoside can be found in the stem barks of C. axillaris.Although, the skin of the fruit is very thin, it contains an acidic succulent pulp that’s rich in amino acids and vitamin C. Apart from the fruit, there are several other uses as well. The leathery bark is used in rope making. With a marked silver particle, the grayish-white wood is used as light construction timber for making tea chests and general furniture items. The wood is also used for fuel and the seed shells make a great item as a fuel in brick kilns.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choerospondias_axillaris
https://www.fruitsinfo.com/lapsi-fruit.php
