"Exploring the Tropical Delight of Ice Apple Fruit in Southeast Asia"


Ice apple is a fruit that is commonly found in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, including countries like India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia. It is also known by various other names, such as nungu in Tamil, taal in Bengali, tadgola in Marathi, and taari in Kannada. The fruit is obtained from the palmyra palm, which grows in abundance in these countries and is a popular source of food and other products.


‘Hail the ice apple’

Not many refer to the fruit as the ice apple—it is believed that the British gave the fruit that names for its cooling properties. Indigenous to India and other parts of Southeast Asia, it is known as nungu in Tamil Nadu, taal in West Bengal, tadgola in Maharashtra, and munjaal in other parts of India.

While the juicy fruit found at street stalls across India is a delicacy in itself, it is whipped up to create many other dishes. In Tamil Nadu, payasam is given a twist by cooking the fruit with milk, sugar, nuts, and a little gram of flour. Some prepare coolers by adding chunks of it to coconut water and also pudding with milk, sugar and gelatinous agar. In Kerala, I tried a soufflé made of eggs, milk, nungu, and gelatine. While nothing confirms this titbit, it is believed that the Bengali sweet Sandesh or Jolbhora's syrupy center was inspired by the ice apple.

When Naturals Now, a subsidiary of the popular ice-cream chain that houses freshly-churned ice creams, opened in India in 2019, tadgola sundaes flew off the shelf at its Juhu outpost in Mumbai. "Not many places in the city champion the fruit that is so widely available along the Malvan belt of Maharashtra. We've been wanting to experiment with it ever since we first opened, but due to the high water content of the fruit, the ice cream formed crystals. So, we decided to introduce it to our sundaes," says Siddhanth Kamath, director, of Naturals India. For eight to nine months a year, the outlet dishes out a malai ice cream jeweled with chunks of the fruit soaked in sugar syrup.

The ice apple—the unripe baby seed—is just the beginning of the cycle the fruit undergoes. The palm fruit finds usage at every stage in many ways in different parts of India. After the monsoon, the fruit starts ripening and thus hardening. At this stage, many parts of India lose interest in it because the ice apple has dried up. But the fruit really starts to shine in Bengal and Orissa. The outer layer becomes fibrous flesh, while the earlier pulpy center turns into three or four hard seeds. This orange and gooey pulp that has quite a heady perfume is used to prepare unique dishes in these states. Taaler Bora or sugar palm fritters are little globes fried golden brown. They are prepared by mixing the pulp with rice and wheat flour, jaggery, and desiccated coconut and dropping them into bubbling oil. There's also Taaler Luchi, where the fruit is added to the dough to make pooris served with dum aloo. And kheer is made with mature fruit as well—velvety custard with taal fruit, nuts, and coconut shavings.

‘A great way to beat the heat'

Besides the fruit, Palmyra has many byproducts. The sap from the trunk is called nira, a liquid sweeter than coconut water. The refreshing drink is found being sold at stalls along the highways outside of Mumbai, coastal roads of Maharashtra, in Alibaug and Tamil Nadu. When fermented, it turns into toddy. When the seeds of the plant are dropped into the ground, they form thick roots which are plucked three months later and cooked into a vegetable or dried into a snack called Pulukodiyal. Palm tubers are also used to make flour.

Mrs. Meenakshi Meyyappan of the heritage, family-run hotel The Bangala in Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, says the seed of the fruit tastes best when it's tender. The overripe sap loses its taste as it hardens. The hotel serves up a chilled glass of nungu with coconut milk and rose syrup in the afternoons. "It's very cooling and refreshing, and a great way to beat the heat." But other than that, she says the family saves nungu for festive occasions when the fruit is added to a payasam or kheer. "It is not as easily available as it used to be due to a decrease in palmyra palm trees," says Mrs. Meyyappan.

Tadgolas are absolutely ideal for the summer, says Naini Setalvad, a Mumbai-based nutritionist, and obesity and lifestyle consultant. "It's packed with vitamins such as A, B, K, and potassium." It's also perfect for diabetic patients since the glycemic index of the fruit is very low. "My 92-year-old mother who was diabetic and had high blood pressure enjoyed tadgolas. It's very easy for old people to chew," she says. What's more, the high on water-content fruit is low in calories. "100 grams, which is 5 pieces, is just 54 calories, and it can keep you full for hours," says Setalvad. It boosts immunity as well as metabolism and acts as a digestive and laxative. Ice apples also relieve prickly heat and acne as it's a natural coolant. So, the next time you're torn between the king of fruits and tadgolas on a sweltering summer noon, you'll know which one to choose.