Fruits · IFCT 2017
Phalsa: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, phalsa gives 71 kcal, 4.5 g dietary fibre, 153 mg calcium, 77 mg magnesium and 2.01 mg iron, according to IFCT 2017. For a fruit, those are remarkable figures: phalsa ranks 1st of 43 fruits for calcium, 2nd for magnesium and 5th for iron. It is also 1st of 44 fruits for vitamin E. This tiny, tart summer berry carries far more minerals than most fruit.
About phalsa
Phalsa, falsa in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and Urdu, palisa in Tamil and Malayalam and mirgichara in Odia, is a small, round, purple berry from a shrubby tree, Grewia asiatica, grown across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Each fruit is barely the size of a pea, with a thin skin, a sweet and sour pulp and a hard seed. It ripens in the fiercest weeks of summer, just before the monsoon.
Phalsa is one of the most perishable fruits in India; it softens and ferments within a day of picking, so it rarely travels far from the farms around north Indian cities. Old Delhi and Lucknow sherbet sellers wait for it each year, and for a few weeks phalsa sherbet, purple and tangy with black salt and roasted cumin, is the drink of the season.
What phalsa brings to a meal
- 01
Calcium leader among fruits
At 153 mg per 100 g, phalsa ranks 1st of 43 fruits and 47th of 242 foods for calcium. 100 g meets about 15 per cent of an adult's daily requirement, far above any other fruit in the tables.
- 02
Magnesium and iron
Phalsa gives 77 mg magnesium and 2.01 mg iron per 100 g, ranking 2nd and 5th among fruits. The magnesium covers about 18 per cent of a man's and 21 per cent of a woman's requirement.
- 03
Top fruit for vitamin E
Its 0.87 mg vitamin E per 100 g ranks 1st of 44 fruits. The amount is modest, but no other fruit in the tables carries more.
- 04
Fibre and potassium
Phalsa has 4.5 g dietary fibre and 362 mg potassium per 100 g, ranking 14th and 7th among fruits. Much of the fibre comes from the skin and seed.
Phalsa 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 | 71 kcal | 3% | 4% |
| Protein | 1.7 g | 3% | 4% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 15.1 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 4.5 g | ||
| Free sugars | 13 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Water | 77.5 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.16 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.17 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.38 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 19 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 153 mg | 15% | 15% |
| Iron | 2.01 mg | 11% | 7% |
| Zinc | 0.48 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Magnesium | 77 mg | 18% | 21% |
| Phosphorus | 24 mg | ||
| Potassium | 362 mg | ||
| Sodium | 2 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.24 mg | ||
| Selenium | 3.5 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 5.1 mg | 6% | 8% |
| Beta-carotene | 2 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.06 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.4 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.03 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Folate (B9) | 23 µg | 8% | 10% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.87 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 5.4 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. Phalsa: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/phalsa/
Where phalsa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 153 mg | 1st of 43 | 47th of 242 |
| Magnesium | 77 mg | 2nd of 43 | 70th of 242 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.87 mg | 1st of 44 | 53rd of 242 |
How phalsa is eaten
- Phalsa sherbet: berries mashed in water, strained, and seasoned with black salt, roasted cumin and a little sugar.
- Eaten fresh from a paper cone, tossed with chaat masala and black salt.
- Phalsa sorbet or kulfi, made in the short weeks the fruit is in season.
- Stirred into a summer fruit chaat with jamun and watermelon.
Before you plan around it
Phalsa spoils within a day of picking, so buy only firm, glossy berries and use them at once, or freeze them for sherbet later. The seed is hard and is usually spat out or strained away; small children should have strained pulp rather than whole berries. Sherbet sellers often add a lot of sugar, which turns a mineral-rich fruit into a sugary drink, so make it at home with less. With 362 mg potassium per 100 g, kidney patients on a potassium limit should count it.
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 phalsa
Is phalsa high in calcium?
Yes, for a fruit. IFCT 2017 lists 153 mg calcium per 100 g of phalsa, the highest of 43 fruits and about 15 per cent of an adult's daily requirement. Milk, curd and ragi still supply more, but no other fruit comes close.
Is phalsa sherbet good in summer?
It is a traditional summer cooler in north India. The fruit brings 362 mg potassium and 77 mg magnesium per 100 g, minerals lost in sweat. Keep added sugar low, and use clean water and ice.
When is phalsa season?
Phalsa ripens for only a few weeks at the peak of summer, before the monsoon, mainly around Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Outside those weeks it is hard to find even frozen.
What is phalsa called in English?
Phalsa is sometimes called the Indian sherbet berry in English. Its botanical name is Grewia asiatica. In most Indian languages it is falsa or phalsa, and palisa in Tamil and Malayalam.
Related foods and tables
Jamun
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Black berry
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Karonda
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Grapes
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Ber (Indian jujube)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
Magnesium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by magnesium per 100 g.
Vitamin E content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin e per 100 g.
All fruits
44 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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