Curry tree
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{about|the tree which produces aromatic leaf often used in Indian cuisine|the European plant sometimes called curry plant|Helichrysum italicum}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Curry tree
| image = Curry Trees.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Bergera
| species = koenigii
| synonyms = {{Species list
|Camunium koenigii|(L.) Kuntze
|Chalcas koenigii|(L.) Kurz
|Chalcas siamensis|(Craib) Tanaka
|Murraya foetidissima|Teijsm. & Binn.
|Murraya koenigii|(L.) Spreng.
|Murraya siamensis|Craib
|Nimbo melioides|Dennst.
}}
}}
The curry tree or Bergera koenigii (syn. Murraya koenigii), is a tropical and sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae (the rue family, which, apart from rue, includes citrus, and Ceylon satinwood), native to Asia.{{cite web|title=Murraya koenigii|url=http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d441|publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA|date=2019|access-date=13 August 2019}} The plant is also sometimes called sweet neem, although neem (Azadirachta indica) is in a different family from B. koenigii, namely the related family Meliaceae.
Its leaves, known as curry leaves, also referred to as sweet neem, are used in many dishes in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Description
File:Fresh curry Leaf (49697684423).jpg
It is a small tree, growing {{convert|4–6|m|ft|0}}) tall, with a trunk up to {{convert|40|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} in diameter. The aromatic leaves are pinnate, with 11–21 leaflets, each leaflet {{convert|2|–|4|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|1|–|2|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} broad. The plant produces small white flowers which can self-pollinate to produce small shiny-black drupes containing a single, large viable seed. The berry pulp is edible, with a sweet flavor.
Distribution and habitat
The tree is native to the Indian subcontinent.{{Cite book|title=Herbs & Spices: The Cook's Reference|last=Norman|first=Jill|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqStAAAACAAJ|publisher=DK Publishing|year=2002|oclc=51005062|isbn=9780789489395|location=New York, New York|pages=212, 213}} Commercial plantations have been established in India, and also in Australia and South of Spain (Costa del Sol).
It grows best in well-drained soil that does not dry out, in areas with full sun or partial shade, preferably away from the wind. Growth is more robust when temperatures are at least {{convert|18|C|F|0}}.{{Cite web|url=http://heritagegarden.uic.edu/curry-leaf-tree-murraya-koenigii|title=Curry leaf tree (Murraya koenigii)|website=Heritage Garden|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-02}}
Etymology and common names
The word "curry" is borrowed from the Tamil word kari (கறி, literally "blackened"), the name of the plant associated with the perceived blackness of the tree's leaves.{{cite web |title=Curry and curry tree |url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=curry+tree |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=16 May 2023 |date=2023}} The records of the leaves being utilized are found in Tamil literature dating back to the 1st and 4th centuries CE. Britain had spice trades with the ancient Tamil region. It was introduced to England in the late 16th century.{{Citation needed|reason=Where are the records? Are the last two sentences connected, does ancient = 16th c? Britain and England are not the same.|date=October 2023}}.
The species Bergera koenigii was first published by Carl Linnaeus in Mantissa Plantarum vol.2 on page 563 in 1767.
It was formerly known as Murraya koenigii {{au|(L.) Spreng.}}, which was first published in Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 2: 315 in 1825.{{cite web |title=Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:774433-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |access-date=16 November 2023 |language=en}} Some sources still recognise it as the accepted name.{{cite book |last1=George |first1=A.S. |last2=Orchard |first2=A.E. |last3=Hewson |first3=H.J. |title=Oceanic islands 2. Flora of Australia |date=1993 |publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service |location=Canberra |pages=1–606 |edition=50}}
The former generic name, Murraya, derives from Johan Andreas Murray (1740–1791), who studied botany under Carl Linnaeus and became a professor of medicine with an interest in medicinal plants at the University of Göttingen, Germany. The specific name, koenigii, derives from the last name of botanist Johann Gerhard König.
The curry tree is also called curry leaf tree or curry bush, among numerous local names, depending on the country.{{cite web |date=14 July 2018 |title=Murraya koenigii (curry leaf tree) |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/35175 |access-date=13 August 2019 |publisher=CABI}}
It is known by a variety of names in the Indian subcontinent and South Asia itself. Some of its alternative names are:{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
- Hindi: करी/करीयापत्ता का पेड़ (kari/kariyāpattā ka peṛ)
- Punjabi: ਕਡੀ/ਕੜੀ ਪੱਤੀ ਦਾ ਰੁਖ (kaḍi/kaṛi patti dā rukh)
- Gujarati: મીઠો લીંબડો નુ બૃક્ષ/ઝાડ (miṭho limbḍo nu bruksh/jhāḍ)
- Marathi: कढीपानाचे/कढीलिंबाचे झाड (kaḍhīpānache /kaḍhīlimbāche jhāḍ)
- Bengali: করীফুুলীর/কারীপাতার গাছ (kariphulir /kāripātār gāchh)
- Odia: ଭୃଷଙ୍ଗର/ଭୃଷମର ଗଛ (bhrusungara/bhrusamara gachha)
- Assamese: নৰসিংহৰ গাছ (narahingor gās)
- Nepali: करीपात को रूख (karipāt ko rūkh)
- Meitei: ꯀꯔꯤ ꯄꯥꯝꯕꯤ (kari pambi)
- Kannada: ಕರಿಬೇವಿನ ಮರ (karivēvina mara)
- Tamil: கறிவேப்பிலை மரம் (karivēppilai maram)
- Telugu: కరివేపాకు చెట్టు (karivēpāku cheṭṭu)
- Malayalam: കറിവേപ്പ് (karivēppu)
- Tulu: ಬೇವುಡಿರೇ ಮರ (bēvudirae mara)
- Sinhala: කරපිංච ගස (karapincha gasa)
- Burmese:ဟင်းရွက်သစ်ပင် (hainnrwat saitpain)
Uses
=Culinary=
Curry leaves have a "mild, aromatic, slightly bitter" flavor.{{Cite book |last=The Culinary Institute of America |author-link=The Culinary Institute of America |title=The Professional Chef |publisher=Wiley |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-470-42 135-2 |edition=9th |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |page=180}}{{Cookbook|Curry Leaf}}
The fresh leaves are an indispensable part of Indian cuisine and Indian traditional medicines. They are most widely used in southern and west coast Indian cooking, usually fried along with vegetable oil, mustard seeds and chopped onions in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada, rasam, and kadhi; additionally, they are often dry-roasted (and then ground) in the preparation of various powdered spice blends (masalas), such as South Indian sambar masala, the main seasoning in the ubiquitous vegetable stew sambar. The curry leaves are also added as flavoring to masala dosa, the South Indian potato-filled dosas, made with a mildly probiotic, fermented lentil and rice batter. The fresh leaves are valued as seasoning in the cuisines of South and Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, curry leaves ({{langx|km|ស្លឹកកន្ទ្រោប}}, {{lang|km-Latn|slœ̆k kontroap}}) are roasted and used as an ingredient for samlor machu kroeung. In Java, the leaves are often stewed to flavor gulai. Though available dried, the aroma and flavor are greatly inferior. In almost all cases, the leaves will be freshly plucked from a garden only a few hours or even minutes before they are used. The oil can be extracted and used to make scented soaps.
The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as a herb in Ayurvedic and Siddha medicine in which they are believed to possess anti-disease properties,{{cite web |title=Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng |url=https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/parmar/12.html |publisher=From: Parmar, C. and M. K. Kaushal. 1982. Murraya koenigii. pages 45–48. In: Wild Fruits. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, India. In: NewCROP, New Crop Resource Online Program, Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Purdue University |access-date=14 August 2019 |date=1982}} but there is no high-quality clinical evidence for such effects.
The berries are edible, but the seeds may be toxic to humans.
Propagation
Seeds must be ripe and fresh to plant; dried or shriveled fruits are not viable. The skin must be peeled off, and this is recommended before planting.{{Cite web |title=How to Peel Skin Of Curry Leaf Seeds to Grow Plants |url=https://curryleafplant.com/blogs/how-to-grow-curry-leaf-plants/how-to-peel-skin-of-curry-leaf-seeds-to-grow-plants |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=Curry Leaf Plants |date=27 February 2023 |language=en}} One can plant the whole fruit, but it is best to remove the pulp before planting in a potting mix that is kept moist but not wet. Stem cuttings can be also used for propagation. In the Indian subcontinent, the plant is a fixture in almost every household. It is mainly planted privately, but also cultivated commercially to a small extent. Because the leaves must be fresh upon use, it is often traded through a small neighborhood or city wide network of farmers, who regularly supply fresh leaves to stall vendors.{{Cite web |date=2008-07-23 |title=Indian Spices |url=http://www.indianspices.com/html/s062fclf.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723141734/http://www.indianspices.com/html/s062fclf.htm |archive-date=2008-07-23 |access-date=2022-09-23 }}
Chemical constituents
Compounds found in curry tree leaves, stems, bark, and seeds include cinnamaldehyde,{{cite journal|last1=Sankar Ganesh|first1=Ravishankar Rai|title=In vitro antibiofilm activity of Murraya koenigii essential oil extracted using supercritical fluid CO2 method against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1|journal=Natural Product Research|date=2015|volume=29|issue=24|pages=2295–2298|issn=1478-6427|display-authors=etal|doi=10.1080/14786419.2015.1004673|pmid=25635569|s2cid=220349399 }} and numerous carbazole alkaloids, including mahanimbine,{{cite web|url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/167963|title=Mahanimbine|publisher=PubChem|date=2017}} girinimbine,{{cite web|url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Girinimbine|title=Girinimbine|publisher=PubChem|date=2017}} and mahanine.
Nutritionally, the leaves are a rich source of carotenoids, beta-carotene, calcium and iron.{{cite journal |last1=Drisya |first1=C. R. |last2=Swetha |first2=B. G. |last3=Velu |first3=V. |last4=Indrani |first4=D. |last5=Singh |first5=R. P. |title=Effect of dried Murraya koenigii leaves on nutritional, textural and organoleptic characeteristics of cookies |journal=Journal of Food Science and Technology |date=January 2015 |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=500–506 |doi=10.1007/s13197-013-1002-2|s2cid=96236829 }}
References
External links
- {{Commons category inline|Murraya koenigii}}
{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Culinary wrappings}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q244731|from2=Q39837286}}