Manila tamarind (jungle jalebi): nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   The most protein of any fruit

   At 3.6 g protein per 100 g, manila tamarind ranks 1st of 44 fruits. It is not a protein food in a meal sense, but it carries more than any other fruit in the tables.

2. 02

   Strong vitamin C

   Its 55.8 mg vitamin C per 100 g ranks 8th of 44 fruits and 25th of 130 foods, covering about 70 per cent of a man's and 86 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.

3. 03

   Thiamine and riboflavin

   Manila tamarind ranks 2nd among fruits for both thiamine, 0.18 mg, and riboflavin, 0.14 mg, per 100 g. The thiamine meets about 10 per cent of a man's daily requirement.

4. 04

   Potassium and vitamin K1

   100 g brings 376 mg potassium, 6th of 44 fruits, and 33.2 micrograms of vitamin K1. Fibre adds up to 4.4 g.

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.

• Eaten fresh: twist open the pod, pull out the white pulp segments and spit out the black seed.
• Sprinkled with salt and red chilli powder, the way school-gate sellers in Tamil Nadu serve it.
• Pulp segments mixed into a summer fruit chaat with raw mango, black salt and a little jaggery.
• Chewed as a mid-afternoon snack on long walks through rural roads where the trees grow wild.

The seeds and the pod skin are not eaten. Manila tamarind is mostly gathered from roadside and wild trees, so wash the pods before opening them and discard any with holes, since insect larvae sometimes live inside. Unripe green pods are astringent and can upset the stomach; pick ones that have turned pink and split slightly. The fruit is sweet, with 12.1 g sugars per 100 g, so it is still a sugar source for anyone counting.

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.

• Tamarind

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Ber (Indian jujube)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Karonda

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Wood apple (kaitha)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Phalsa

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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