''Buchanania cochinchinensis'' (syn. ''Buchanania lanzan'') is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

tree which produces seeds that are edible to humans. It is native to the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

, and adjacent parts of China. It is known as ''chironji'' (or ''charoli''). These almond-flavoured seeds are used as a cooking spice primarily in India. ''Buchanania cochinchinensis'' is cultivated across India, primarily in the northwest. After the hard shell is cracked, the stubby seed within is as soft as a

pine nut Pine nuts, also called piñón (), pinoli (), pignoli or chilgoza (), are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus ''Pinus''). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are trade ...

. The charoli seed is

lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest pro ...

-sized, is slightly flattened and has an almond-like flavour. Though they can be eaten and used raw they are often toasted or roasted before use, as this intensifies the flavour. They are commonly used in

sweets Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies ( Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called '' sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, ...

in India. They are also ground into powders for thickening

savory Savory or Savoury may refer to: Common usage * Herbs of the genus ''Satureja'', particularly: ** Summer savory (''Satureja hortensis''), an annual herb, used to flavor food ** Winter savory (''Satureja montana''), a perennial herb, also used to ...

sauces and flavoring

batter Batter or batters may refer to: Common meanings * Batter (cooking), thin dough that can be easily poured into a pan * Batter (baseball), person whose turn it is to face the pitcher * Batter (cricket), a player who is currently batting * Batter ( ...

s, and stewed into rich, meaty kormas. Charoli seeds are used in the

Ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repor ...

and

Unani Unani or Yunani medicine (Urdu: ''tibb yūnānī'') is Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific. The Indian Medical Association describes Un ...

systems of medicine.Pankaj Oudhia, Robert E. Paull. Chironji ''Buchanania lanzan'' Spreng. Anacardiaceae p14- 15. Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts - 2008, J. Janick and R. E. Paull -editors, CABI, Wallingford, United Kingdom

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15539496, from2=Q83127 cochinchinensis Indian spices Flora of West Himalaya Flora of Nepal Flora of India (region) Flora of Bangladesh Flora of Indo-China Flora of South-Central China Flora of Hainan Plants described in 1996