Fruits · IFCT 2017
Karonda: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, karonda gives 34 kcal, 7.2 g dietary fibre and 135 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. That vitamin C ranks 4th of 130 foods in the tables and covers about 169 per cent of a man's and 208 per cent of a woman's daily requirement. Karonda is also 5th of 43 fruits for fibre, which makes this small sour berry far more useful than its size suggests.
About karonda
Karonda is a thorny wild shrub of India's dry scrub and hedgerows, from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to the Deccan and the Western Ghats. Its small, sour, pink-and-white berries ripen to deep purple-black in the monsoon. It is karonda in Punjabi, karvand in Marathi, karamda in Gujarati, koromcha in Bengali, kalive in Telugu and karakka in Malayalam. In the Konkan and on the Sahyadri hills, children pick ripe black karvand straight from the bush.
Most of the crop goes into pickles and chutneys, and karonda has a secret second life in bakeries: much of the red candied cherry in fruit cake and tutti frutti is karonda boiled in syrup and coloured. Fresh, the fruit is tart enough to make your eyes water, with only 1.8 g sugars per 100 g, which is why cooks pair it with green chilli, mustard and salt.
What karonda brings to a meal
- 01
Vitamin C in the top four
At 135 mg per 100 g, karonda ranks 4th of 44 fruits and 4th of 130 foods for vitamin C. 100 g meets well over the day's requirement for both men and women.
- 02
Fibre for very little energy
It carries 7.2 g dietary fibre per 100 g, 5th among fruits, with just 34 kcal and 2.9 g available carbohydrate.
- 03
Potassium and copper
Karonda gives 351 mg potassium per 100 g, 8th of 44 fruits, and 0.71 mg copper, an unusually high figure for a fruit.
- 04
A little fat, a little iron
Its 1.7 g fat per 100 g ranks 3rd among fruits, and 0.87 mg iron ranks 8th of 43. Neither is large, but both are above most fresh fruit.
Karonda nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 34 kcal | 2% | 2% |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 2% | 2% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 2.9 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 7.2 g | ||
| Free sugars | 1.8 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.7 g | ||
| Water | 86 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.07 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 7 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 11 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Iron | 0.87 mg | 5% | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.25 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 24 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 33 mg | ||
| Potassium | 351 mg | ||
| Sodium | 3 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.71 mg | ||
| Selenium | 1.6 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 135 mg | 169% | 208% |
| Beta-carotene | 16 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.01 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.25 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Folate (B9) | 9 µg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.04 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 2.5 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Karonda: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/karonda/
Where karonda sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 43 fruits and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In fruits | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 135 mg | 4th of 44 | 4th of 130 |
| Dietary fibre | 7.2 g | 5th of 43 | 58th of 182 |
| Beta-carotene | 16 µg | 17th of 41 | 93rd of 160 |
| Potassium | 351 mg | 8th of 44 | 103rd of 243 |
| Iron | 0.87 mg | 8th of 43 | 141st of 242 |
How karonda is eaten
- Karonde ka achaar: halved berries pickled in mustard oil with fennel, nigella and red chilli.
- Karonda mirch, a quick Rajasthani and Malwa sabzi of karonda stir-fried with green chilli and a pinch of jaggery.
- Karonda chutney ground with green chilli, garlic and salt, eaten with bajra roti.
- Ripe black karvand eaten fresh in the Konkan, or simmered into a sharp jam.
- Boiled in sugar syrup and coloured to make the red candied cherries of Indian bakeries.
Before you plan around it
Unripe karonda contains a sticky white latex that can irritate the mouth and stomach, so it is always cooked, pickled or salted rather than eaten raw in quantity. Pickles carry plenty of salt and oil, which matters for anyone with high blood pressure, and the candied cherry version is essentially sugar. The thorny shrub is often a field hedge, so wash wild-picked berries well. With 351 mg potassium per 100 g, kidney patients on a potassium limit should check with their dietitian.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about karonda
Is karonda high in vitamin C?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 135 mg vitamin C per 100 g of karonda, 4th of 130 foods in the tables, after amla, guava and black currant. 100 g covers about 169 per cent of a man's and 208 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
Are the red cherries in cakes made from karonda?
Often, yes. Indian bakeries commonly use karonda boiled in sugar syrup and coloured red as candied cherries. That product is mostly sugar and keeps little of the fresh fruit's vitamin C.
What is karonda called in Marathi and other languages?
IFCT 2017 records karvand in Marathi, karamda in Gujarati, koromcha in Bengali, kalive in Telugu, karakka in Malayalam, karekayi in Kannada and sushena in Odia.
When is karonda in season?
Karonda fruits in the monsoon across most of central and western India, with green berries for pickling early in the season and ripe black fruit a few weeks later. In the Konkan, ripe karvand appears in early summer.
Related foods and tables
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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Jamun
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Lemon (juice)
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Ber (Indian jujube)
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Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
All fruits
44 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.