2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Santola is an evergreen fast-growing tree with a height between 15-45 meters and elongated leaves with a length of 15-30 cm. The flowers of Santola are yellow-green or pink, and the fruit is spherical with a very dense velvety skin.
The fruit looks very much like a mangosteen. Ripe fruits are picked by climbing a tree and plucking by hand, but a pitchfork can also be used for this purpose. The fruits santol are round and as big as apples. When not ripe, the fruit is very sour.
It grows in Southeast Asia. The homeland of Santol is the peninsula of Malaysia and Indochina, it is distributed in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mauritius, Borneo. It has a white velvety core, which is why it is often called cotton fruit, and its taste earns the nickname "sour apple". Santol is a sacred fruit in the Philippines. Because of its great resemblance to mangosteen, it is called "fake mangosteen" in France and "wild mangosteen" in England.
There are two main types santol - yellow and red. Both species have a shell, which can be a thin crust to a relatively thick bark. The heart is white or slightly yellow, it can be sour or sweet.
Wood is used in the manufacture of furniture because it is easy to process and easy to polish.
Composition of santol
Santol is rich in fiber, minerals phosphorus and calcium, iron, thiamine, carotene, niacin, pectin and ascorbic acid. Santola contains a certain amount of vitamin B.
100 g of santol contain 57 kcal, 0.5 g of fat, 14 g of carbohydrates and 0.06 g of protein.
Selection and storage of santol
The fruit santol is spherical and with a very thick velvety skin. Inside it is slightly yellow or white, very juicy and sweet. Unfortunately, this exotic fruit has not yet been found in our country.
Santol in cooking
The heart of the fruit can be eaten raw or with spices. The fruit is eaten with spices in India. It is most often eaten raw, with fresh fruit seeds sucked in like a lollipop. Santola seeds are not edible and be careful - they can cause intestinal entanglement when vomiting. Therefore, they are not swallowed.
Santol can be candied, put different dishes or make jam from it. In the Philippines, they prepare a dish with pork, coconut milk, santol and hot pepper.
From santol many marmalades, jellies and jams are made, as well as alcoholic beverages. In Thailand, it is used to make the famous catfish salad there.
Benefits of santol
Some parts of the plant have a good anti-inflammatory effect, are effective in dysentery and diarrhea. Some substances in the stem are thought to have anti-cancer properties. The active compound triterpenoid significantly slows the growth of tumors.
The seeds are not fit for consumption, but on the other hand they are a good means of destroying insects.
The crushed leaves of the plant are effective in itchy skin. In cases of fever in the Philippines, fresh santol leaves are placed all over the patient's body to cause sweating.
Infusions of the bark or root of the tree santol are used to relieve colic. The crushed santol root is a powerful remedy for diarrhea. In addition, the root is recognized as a powerful antispasmodic and invigorating tonic. The fruit is useful for coughs and colds.
Santol lowers cholesterol, and the soluble fiber in fruits breaks down fats and buildup in the gut. The antioxidant quercetin, which is contained in the fruit, stimulates and strengthens the immune system.
A new study conducted on experimental mice showed that drinking the juice of santol protects against Alzheimer's and fights the effects of brain aging.
Santol is also useful for teeth. Chewing santol stimulates the production of saliva in the mouth and reduces the likelihood of caries by lowering the levels of bacteria in the oral cavity.
