Poochya pazham is a creeping plant that once grew abundantly in the hills, fields and bushes of Kerala. However, today very few people are familiar with this plant. The older generation of the state may still remember plucking gooseberries, kalapazham, cherikatta, kottapazam and poochya pazham along the roads as children on their way to and from school. The fruit is also known by names like mookatapazham, amamamapazham, madamamapazham, kurangethinipazham and kurukanpazam. The plant produces flowers that resemble passion fruit. The gooseberry-sized fruit is green before ripening and turns yellowish-red on ripening. On opening the fruit, one finds black, oily seeds. The fruit has a mix of sweet and sour taste like passion fruit and both the leaves and fruit are hairy. The fruit is known for its medicinal properties and can cure many ailments. Experts claim that it is also rich in protein, minerals and folate, which are beneficial for children.
In the old days, the fruit was added to sherbet served at temple festivals. Travelers also ate it to recover and refresh. Local healers prescribed a decoction from the fruit to women who had difficulty conceiving and sometimes used it to deworm children. This medicinal fruit, which contains potassium, minerals, iron and trace elements, should be preserved so that it does not disappear from the land. If you want to taste it, make sure it is ripe and consult a doctor to make sure you do not have any allergies or health problems.
