Scientific name :
Averrhoa Bilimbi Linn.
English : Bilimbi/
Cucumber tree
Ayurvedha : Karmaranga/ Karmsaraka
Tamil : Irumban Puli/ Bilimbi
Bilimbi is a tropical plant. It is
found throught Malaysia. Especially grown in vilages or housing areas. It grows
in any type of soil and does not require intensive care. Bilimbi tree is a
medium tall tree with lots of branches. Its leaf has two small strips
leaflets and stacked
neatly on both sides of the vein.
This leaves easily
fall from the stalk. Flowers
of the tree are appear either on the tree trunk or
on matured branches. It is red in color.
The
tree Bilimbi fruits are often found
in in a clusters. The fruits are available throughtout the year and it
bears hundreds of fruits per year. The
fruits are very crunchy when unripe. The tender fruits are bright-green in
colour and turn to yellowish-green, when
they are ripe. Once ripen they fall on the ground. The outer skin is shiny,
very thin and gentle, and the flesh will be greenish-white in color which will
be very juicy and extremely sour.The fruit has a few flattened seeds which is
brown in color.
The
fruit has a high concentration of oxalic acid. It is very useful for cleaning
and bleaching especilly brasswares. Since brass is made of zinc and copper, its
tarnishes easily. A non-coated brassware need a a good work to bring back its
shine. A natural ingredient or cleaner at home like tamarind, lemon and rock
salt will do the best. As far as I know, the the fully ripen bilimbi fruit is one of the best natural cleaner for
brassware. I use to clean my prayer vessels by squizing the fruit with rock
salt on the prayer vessels and clean with water and dry it. And, the shine is
back as newly bought. You may try it at home. No harm trying as the fruit can
be a natural mosturaizer to your hands as well.
There are some other benefits of the
fruit:-
Cosmatic
1. Facial Cleanser
Pound some fresh and
tender fruits. Mix it with the home-made body powder (bedak sejuk). Make it a
mask, leave it for 10 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. You can feel the
smootheness of the skin.
2. Eliminate acne
Grind or mash some fresh
fruits. Add a little lemon juice. Apply on the infected acne. Wait a few
minutes and rinse with running water. Do three times a day.
4. Ringworm
Pound a few pieces of
fresh fruit and add a little white lime paste (Sunnnambu) and dab on infected
skin. Let stand for 5 minutes and rinse off with water. Do it daily.
Health
Mash some fresh fruits.
Drink the extraction mix with water for 2-3 times a day.
2. Cough / phlegm
Pound few pieces of
fresh fruit and the get the juice. Add 2 tablespoons of salt water and drink 2
times a day or boil some fresh fruits, leaves and flowers in equal quantities
and drink the water 2 times daily or boiled some flowers with a little handful
of pennywort (vallarai) juice (pounded and take juice), 2 red onion and 1
cinnamon stick. Filter the broth and mix it with honey before drinking. Drink it
three times a day.
3. Toothache
Pound some flowers and paste
it on the aching tooth or chew some fruit with salt.
4. dizziness
Pound some fruits to
make a drinks or brew some leaves to make a drinks.
4. Diabetes
Drink the fruit juice
(do not over-drink as fruit juices contain high oxalic content which can have
side effects such as kidney disease of the urinary tract)
5. Hypertension
Boil
some fresh fruits. Drinking the water after breakfast every morning.
6. Infant jaundice
Bath the baby with
decoction of the leaves
7. joint pain
Make a fine paste with the leaves and apply on the body. Wait for few minutes before taking a hot bath. Also good for the skin and get rid of ringworm.
Make a fine paste with the leaves and apply on the body. Wait for few minutes before taking a hot bath. Also good for the skin and get rid of ringworm.
8. High fever
Pound or crush the leaves with a little water. Place on a cloth. Place the cloth on his head. It helps to cool fevers.
Pound or crush the leaves with a little water. Place on a cloth. Place the cloth on his head. It helps to cool fevers.
9. Relieve itchiness
Make a paste with the fruits and apply on the body before bath. Good for
the new mothers. It is used as soap as it has anti bacterial properties.
Food
1. As a syrup full of vitamin C
2. Replace vinegar or tamarind
