Bel / बेल / Bengal Quince / Aegle marmelos (L.)

OOO Farms Wild Food Bel

Other Names

  • Local Name: Bel / बेल
  • Common Name: Bengal Quince
  • Botanical Name: Aegle marmelos (L.)

Status & Habitat

  • Habitat: Tree
  • Occurrence: Dry, open forests on hills and plains
  • Season of Availability: Summer and monsoons
  • Geography: South and Southeast Asia
  • Method of Propagation: Seed propagation
  • Part used for Propagation: Seeds

Edible Parts

  • Edible Parts: Fruits & Leaves
  • Can be Eaten Raw: Yes

Method of Consumption

  • Raw: No
  • Ripe: No
  • Both Raw & Ripe: No
  • Dangerous Form to Consume: N/A
  • As Food: Fruits can be eaten fresh or dried; can be made into juice; leaves and small shoots are used as salad greens.
  • As Medicine: Fruit is eaten to cure diarrhea and ulcerative colitis; unripe fruit helps treat IBS.
  • Cooking Method: Fruits can be eaten fresh or dried; can be made into juice; leaves and small shoots are used as salad greens.
  • Preservation / Curing Technique: Fruit can be dried.
  • Does Require Another Plants to be cooked together: N/A
  • Souring Agents Required: N/A

Nutritional & Medicinal Benefits

  • Nutritional Benefit: Anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Medicinal Benefit: Helps with diarrhea, IBS, and ulcerative colitis.

Tribal Wisdom

  • Tribal Wisdom: Fruit is eaten to cure diarrhea and ulcerative colitis; unripe fruit helps treat IBS.

Recipes / Usage

  • Tribal Recipe / Usage: Bael pana:
    Combine fresh cheese, milk, water, fruit pulp, sugar, crushed black pepper, and ice. To make the drink, the pulp is mixed with water, sugar, and citron juice, allowed to sit for a few hours, strained, and then chilled with ice.

Image Gallery

Bel / बेल / Bengal Quince / Aegle marmelos (L.)

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