Haritaki

Haritaki (Terminalia Chebula)

Benefits:

This plant is used externally in:

  • wound healing,
  • fungal infections,
  • inflammations of the mucous membrane of the mouth,
  • and internally as a rejuvenative,
  • astringent,
  • purgative,
  • stomachic, and
  • laxative,
  • It is useful in asthma, piles, and cough.

It is rich in vitamin C and substances found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

How do you grow it?

Cultivation: The tree is a strong light demander. It requires direct overhead light and cannot tolerate shade of cramped situation. The young plants, however appreciate a certain amount of shade and benefit by side protection from the hot sun. It is frost hardy and drought-resistant to a considerable extent. T. Chebula tree growing in isolation produces a fine crown and yield a good crop.

Soil type and climate: It can be grown on wide range of soils from loam to lateritic soils with moderate fertility. The plant attains the best development on loose, well-drained soil. Average temperature ranging from 10-480C is suitable for its growth. In humid regions the tree grows well.

Haritaki freshly collected and dried immediately have yellowish colour and fetch a better price. The fruits when allowed to lie on the ground have darker colour with sometimes mould attack. Tannin content in such decaying fruits is also very low. Mould attack also sometimes occurs on the tree and this is mentioned as the major cause of poor quality of myrobalans.

Recipes

  1. Haritaki milk-shake

Ingredients:

1 cup Almond milk

1 small size Haritaki (ground to paste with minimal water)

1 tsp maple syrup or sugar

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

Method:

Gently warm the almond milk

Add haritaki paste, maple syrup and nutmeg

Whisk and Serve in your favourite mug

Alternatively, you could also blend the paste and maple syrup along with nutmeg in cold milk and serve it chilled.

 

  1. Haritaki tea

Ingredients:

A small section of freshly grounded haritaki fruit (one and a half inch)

Sugar

Method:

Place a pot with 2 cups of water on the stove and bring it to boil. Add the haritaki paste into the water along with sugar. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.

Pour the tea through a filter into the cup and relish the drink.

References:

  1. Ratha, Kshirod Kumar, and Girish Chandra Joshi. “Haritaki (Chebulic myrobalan) and its varieties.” Ayu 34,3 (2013): 331-4. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.123139
  2. https://haritaki.org/cultivation-of-haritaki-myrobalans-terminalia-chebula/