Kafal (box myrtle)

Myrica esculenta

fruit

Small dark-red drupes, tangy and sweet, sold in leaf cones by the roadside in Uttarakhand in spring.

Origin

Himalayas (Uttarakhand, Nepal, Himachal)

Season (United States)

April to June

Preparation

The drupes are rinsed and eaten raw, often with a little salt; the small hard stone is spat out.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Pectins · Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

In Kumaon, a song tells of a bird that cries “kafal pako”, “the kafal is ripe”.