Amchur: A Dash of Tangy Zing!

Mango, “the king of fruits”, has been around for thousands of years. The Mango is native to South-East Asia. Some also believe that its original home is India. The botanical name Mangifera indica also indicates in this direction. Besides being consumed as a regular fruit, there are various other usages of it. One such use is in its powdered form. Sun-dried green mango powder is known as amchur.

The name amchur is derived from two Hindi words – aam meaning mango and chur meaning powder. It is prepared by drying green mangoes and grinding them into a powder. Once the mangoes are harvested, they are peeled, thinly sliced, and sun-dried. The dried strips of mango, which gradually become light brown in colour and begin to look like woody bark, are also sold in the market. Nonetheless, to get the taste and texture right, these strips are processed to churns out a fine powder. Good quality amchur is a combination of finely ground powder and a slightly fibrous texture. The processed powder is generally light beige in colour. Taste-wise the spice is slightly sweet and acidic.

Cultivation

Since mango is the national fruit of India, we Indians consider it our very own! Even our scriptures are full of folklores and narratives about this fruit. So, mango trees are commonly seen everywhere. Mango trees have a very long life-span. They can grow to about 100 feet and bear fruit even after 300 years! During their flowering season, they are a sight to behold. However, the fact is that only less than 1% of the flowers mature into fruit. The fruits have to be hand-harvested. Amchur is one of the products made from the fruit mango. Hence, the better the cultivation of the mango tree, the better the quality of the fruit and ultimately the amchur powder will reflect this quality.

Uses

Amchur adds a very unique flavour to the food. It is widely used in cooking and for seasoning dishes. It has a very citrus-like flavour and adds both sweet and sour dimensions to the food. Very popular in Indian and Asian cuisine, it very handy when mangoes are not in season. It is a hot favourite amongst adults and children alike. Many a time, it is also sprinkled like a garnish over food. Nutritionally, it contains Vitamins A, E and C, and also anti-oxidants. Amchur has many medicinal benefits too. It aids in digestion, and hence, it is used widely in the preparation of many Ayurvedic medicines. It also effectively treats diabetes and cancer. Amchur powder contains a large amount of iron and is beneficial for pregnant women. Amchur is also good for digestion and helps to prevent acidity.

Amchur is here to stay, both as a spice and as a health booster!