European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Manipur is extremely rich in underutilised minor fruit crops of immense horticultural and medicinal properties. Meitei, the major ethnic community of Manipur has the unique traditional knowledge of consuming the underutilised minor fruit in a varietal way. This community has a unique way of consuming Elaeocarpus serratus fruits in raw and in the traditionally processed form from time immemorial viz. Ambon (sauce), Chorphon Akangba (dried fruit slices and flaxes), Chorphon Heingan (candy), Chorphon Atingba (fermented fruit wine), Chorphon Achar (pickle) and Chorphon Takkhieba (beverage powder/and churang). They consumed the raw unripe fruit in a different form and also with some leafy green vegetables over a long period of time. The tradition knowledge of eating this underutilised minor fruits are handed down from one generation to another orally with a believed to have got direct medicinal benefit by this mode of eating. In this study, the traditional processes of Elaeocarpus serratus fruits and its medicinal values were documented.