Gab, Diospyros malabarica, is an evergreen ebony relative of tank banks and riverbanks. Its unripe fruit is full of a sticky, tannin-rich juice that Bengali fishermen used to coat nets and caulk boats. When fully ripe the fruit softens, turns yellow and is eaten. The tree is also called the Indian persimmon.
- Botanical name
- Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel.
- Family
- Ebenaceae
- Tamil
- Tumbika
- Hindi
- Gab
- Parts used
- Fruit (after it softens)
- Habit
- Glutinous wet ebony; tendu is D. melanoxylon
- Last updated
- 2026-10-25
How to recognise Gab
It is a dense, dark-crowned evergreen tree with long, glossy, leathery leaves. New leaves flush pinkish-red.
The fruit is round, about five centimetres across, covered in a rusty bloom when young and yellow when ripe, with a large persistent calyx — like a persimmon.
Cut an unripe fruit and a clear, glue-like juice seeps out. The old name Embryopteris glutinifera means “glue-bearing”.
Tendu, Diospyros melanoxylon, is a dry-forest tree with stiff, dull leaves used for beedis.
Traditional use of Gab
Fishing communities
The pounded unripe fruit was boiled and used to stiffen and preserve fishing nets and to waterproof boats in Bengal and elsewhere.
Bengal fishing practice
Food
Ripe gab fruit is eaten fresh in Bengal and Odisha, and the pulp is sweet with a little astringency.
Eastern Indian food practice
Modern notes on Gab
The stickiness comes from tannins, which is why the fruit preserves nets and cordage. Chemists have also studied its triterpenes and naphthoquinones in the laboratory.
It is planted as a shade tree along tanks and in gardens because it stays green all year.
Gab safety
Eat only fully ripe, soft fruit. Unripe fruit is very astringent and can upset the stomach.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows in moist and riverine forest across India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, often along streams and tank margins.
Birds and bats eat the ripe fruit and spread the seed.
Related plants
Also in Ebenaceae
Questions about Gab
Is Gab tendu?
No. Tendu is Diospyros melanoxylon, the beedi-leaf tree.
What older names does Diospyros malabarica go by?
Diospyros peregrina and Embryopteris glutinifera.
Can you eat Gab unripe?
No. Wait until it is soft and yellow.
Sources
- Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q3595461 (Diospyros malabarica)
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.