Chiuri (Diploknema butyracea), also known as Indian Butter Nut, is a highly versatile tree that grows in the foothills of the Himalayas at an elevation between 300 and 1,500 meters. Its sweet, fleshy, oval fruit matures to a pale yellow colour. While the flesh of the fruit, which is sweet, may be eaten fresh, the tree’s most valuable asset is its seed, which is pressed down to produce a very rich, white vegetable fat, chiuri ghee, which is a primary source of cooking oil, fuel for lamps, and lotion for the body by the indigenous Chepang people.
Ripening time: Fruits of Chiuri ripen in June and July, following a long blooming period starting in October.
Facts: Because of the great value of chiuri trees, they are often given as a traditional dowry to daughters in the Chepang community, to ensure the daughters will have a reliable source of food and income in their new home.
PC: Google Gemini
