Kalakkai, karonda in Hindi, is a thorny evergreen shrub of dry India whose small, sour berries are pickled, made into chutney and jam, and candied. Candied, dyed karonda is often sold as cherries on cakes and ice cream. Farmers plant it as a living fence because its forked thorns keep out cattle. The plant has milky latex, and unripe fruit is very sour and sticky.
- Botanical name
- Carissa carandas L.
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Tamil
- Kalakkai
- Hindi
- Karonda
- Sanskrit
- Karamarda
- Parts used
- Fruit
- Habit
- Thorny hedge shrub with sour berries
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Kalakkai
It is a dense, spreading shrub, usually two to three metres tall, with sharp, often forked thorns in pairs.
The leaves are oval, leathery, glossy and opposite.
Fragrant white, star-shaped flowers with a slender tube grow in small clusters.
The berries are oval, about two centimetres long, turning from greenish-white with a pink blush to dark purple-black.
Broken twigs and unripe fruit ooze white latex.
Traditional use of Kalakkai
Kitchen
Green karonda is pickled with mustard and chilli and cooked into sabzi in North and West India.
North and West Indian food practice
Kitchen
Ripe berries are made into jam and jelly, and candied karonda is used as a cheaper substitute for cherries.
Indian food practice
Farming
It is planted as a thorny hedge around orchards and fields.
Indian farm practice
Modern notes on Kalakkai
The fruit is rich in vitamin C, iron and pectin, which helps jams set.
Its latex and unripe fruit contain compounds that make the fruit astringent.
Studies on extracts are mostly laboratory work.
Kalakkai safety
Eat karonda cooked, pickled or fully ripe; wash off the latex from cut fruit. The thorns cause painful scratches.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows wild in dry scrub across India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Birds eat the ripe berries.
It tolerates drought, heat and poor soil.
Related plants
Also in Apocynaceae
Questions about Kalakkai
Are karonda cherries real cherries?
No. They are candied, dyed karonda.
How is karonda eaten?
Pickled, cooked or as jam.
Why is Kalakkai used as a hedge?
Its sharp, forked thorns keep out animals.
Does Kalakkai have latex?
Yes, white latex.
When does Kalakkai fruit?
In the monsoon season.
Sources
- Carissa carandas L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q1036374 (Carissa carandas)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.