The bael fruit is highly regarded for its medicinal qualities and is an important part of Ayurvedic practice. It can be eaten raw or cooked, but is often used for its laxative properties. All parts of the tree are used in a variety of applications, including perfumes, detergents, and furniture making.
The bael fruit has been cultivated in India for over 4,000 years and is highly regarded for its perceived medicinal qualities. The flavor of the fruit, unfortunately, leaves something to be desired, like many plants with healing properties, but all parts of the tree are used in a variety of applications, including perfumes, detergents and furniture making. The bael fruit is an important part of Ayurvedic practice and is used to treat many digestive conditions.
Bael fruit is round and roughly the size of a baseball. The fruit starts out grey-green and turns pale yellow as it ripens. When opened, the fruit will reveal pale orange flesh separated by thick dark orange walls. The fruit is also studded with resinous hairy seeds, encased in a mucilage envelope. The smell of the fruit can be off-putting to some.
The bael fruit tree grows 12 to 15 meters (40 to 50 feet) tall and has dark green leaves with slightly serrated edges. The trunk of the Bael fruit tree is covered in pale, scaly bark and spreads into drooping branches that are often barbed. When injured, the tree emits a gummy sap which eventually solidifies. The flowers are green on the outside and yellow on the inside and have a pleasant fragrance which is often used in perfume.
The bael fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and is often used in an unripe stage. When unripe, the fruit can be used to treat diarrhea, while the ripe fruit is a laxative. If used unripe, the fruit should be boiled and pulped. Some practitioners also use the young shoots for the treatment of ulcers and respiratory ailments.
When ripe, the pulp of the bael fruit can be harvested and eaten plain or flavored with milk and sugar to make a creamy drink. Bael fruit can also be used to make jams and jellies, which are used by those recovering from intestinal ailments. In general, the fruit is not consumed so much for its flavor as for its medicinal and purgative properties.
Additionally, other products of the tree are used to make ornamental sculptures, religious offerings, cleaner, and glue. The tree is also rich in limonene oil, which is used to dress hair and perfume wooden furniture. The Bael fruit tree is extremely versatile and useful, although it is unlikely to become popular outside India due to its off-putting taste and scent.
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