DRIED BEL GIRI

The Bel fruit, in actuality, is an herb with the botanical name of Limonia acidissima. Bel fruit has other names like wood apple, elephant apple and monkey fruit. In some parts of the world, this fruit is called elephant apple because it’s a favorite food of elephants, while in other areas, it gets the name wood apple because of its hard wooden shell. It is actually considered sacred by Hindus, and is widely cultivated and eaten in India. The wood apple tree is native to India, but is also found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and various other regions in the southern part of Asia. The tree can grow up to 30 feet in height, and the edible fruits are 5-9cm in diameter. Their shells are tough, and the inside is brownish pulp and small white seeds. The pulp can be eaten raw, but it is popularly scooped out and frozen, or made into jam. It can also be mixed with coconut milk for a delicious, health beverage, or frozen into ice cream!

The health benefits of Bel Fruit or Wood Apple include relief from constipation, indigestion, peptic ulcer, piles, respiratory problems, diarrhea, and dysentery.It also boosts the immune system, fights off bacterial and viral infections, reduces inflammation and various inflammatory conditions, prevent cancer, increases milk production for nursing mothers, cures diabetes, increases ocular health, and helps prevent various sexual dysfunctions.