Fruits · IFCT 2017
Palm fruit (tadgola): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, tender palm fruit gives just 24 kcal, 91.9 g water, 4.9 g carbohydrate and 2.4 g dietary fibre, according to IFCT 2017. It is almost all water, 41st of 44 fruits for energy, which is why the translucent jelly is so cooling in the heat. It also carries 24 micrograms of folate, 9th among fruits, but almost no vitamin C.
About palm fruit (tadgola)
Tadgola, as Mumbai calls it, or nungu in Tamil, thati munjalu in Telugu, tala saja in Odia and tar in Hindi, is the tender kernel of the palmyra palm, Borassus flabellifer. Each hard, dark fruit holds three soft, translucent, jelly-like sockets filled with a little sweet water, which is why it is sold in English as ice apple. The palmyra is Tamil Nadu's state tree, and the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and the Konkan are its home.
The season is high summer, from about the time the heat sets in until the first rains. Vendors split the fruit with a machete on the roadside and scoop out the sockets into a leaf. The same tree gives palm jaggery, palm sprouts and toddy, and the ripe orange pulp is a separate food altogether, used in Bengal for taaler bora on Janmashtami. This page covers only the tender, jelly-like kernel.
What palm fruit (tadgola) brings to a meal
- 01
Almost all water
With 91.9 g water and 24 kcal per 100 g, tender palm fruit is one of the lightest foods in the tables. It is eaten in summer as much for refreshment as for nutrition.
- 02
Some fibre, very little sugar
It has 2.4 g dietary fibre and 4.9 g carbohydrate per 100 g, of which only 0.2 g is listed as sugars. The sweetness is gentle rather than sugary.
- 03
A notable folate figure
100 g gives 24 micrograms of folate, 9th of 44 fruits and about 8 per cent of a man's and 11 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
- 04
An unusual riboflavin value
IFCT 2017 records 0.46 mg riboflavin per 100 g, which ranks 1st of 44 fruits and 2nd of 241 foods. That is surprisingly high for such a watery food, so treat this single figure with some caution.
Palm fruit (tadgola) 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 | 24 kcal | 1% | 1% |
| Protein | 0.5 g | 1% | 1% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 4.9 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.4 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.2 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Water | 91.9 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.08 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 26 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Zinc | 0.05 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Potassium | 158 mg | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 0.2 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.01 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.46 mg | 18% | 19% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.07 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Folate (B9) | 24 µg | 8% | 11% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.01 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 3.6 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. Palm fruit (tadgola): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/palm-fruit-tadgola/
Where palm fruit (tadgola) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.46 mg | 1st of 44 | 2nd of 241 |
| Folate (B9) | 24 µg | 9th of 44 | 122nd of 197 |
| Vitamin C | 0.2 mg | 44th of 44 | 130th of 130 |
| Dietary fibre | 2.4 g | 29th of 43 | 145th of 182 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 26 mg | 26th of 42 | 148th of 202 |
How palm fruit (tadgola) is eaten
- Eaten straight from the shell on the roadside, the thin brown skin peeled or left on.
- Nungu sarbath: the sockets chopped into chilled milk or rose syrup with a little sugar.
- Nungu payasam, a light summer dessert with cooled milk and cardamom.
- Added to a summer fruit salad with watermelon and tender coconut flesh.
Before you plan around it
Tender palm fruit spoils within hours once opened, and the jelly sours fast in the heat, so eat it as soon as it is cut and avoid sockets that look cloudy or smell sour. Roadside fruit is opened by hand and machete, so choose a vendor who cuts it in front of you. It offers almost no vitamin C, at 0.2 mg per 100 g, and few minerals, so enjoy it as a cooling snack rather than a nutrient source.
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 palm fruit (tadgola)
What is ice apple?
Ice apple is the tender, jelly-like kernel of the palmyra palm, known as tadgola in Marathi-speaking Mumbai and nungu in Tamil. IFCT 2017 lists it as tender palm fruit, with 24 kcal and 91.9 g water per 100 g.
Is tadgola good in summer?
It is a traditional summer food along the coasts because it is mostly water, 91.9 g per 100 g, with very little energy. It is pleasant and cooling, but on a hot day it does not replace drinking water or oral rehydration when someone is dehydrated.
Can people with diabetes eat nungu?
Tender palm fruit has 4.9 g carbohydrate per 100 g, with only 0.2 g listed as sugars, and 2.4 g fibre. A few sockets fit most meal plans. Sweetened nungu sarbath is another matter, so watch the added sugar.
When is ice apple season?
Tender palm fruit is sold through the hot months before the monsoon, roughly from spring into early summer. The palmyra grows mainly along the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Konkan coasts.
Related foods and tables
Coconut
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Coconut water
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Watermelon
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Jaggery
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Muskmelon
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by riboflavin (vitamin b2) per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c 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.