Mysore gamboge (Garcinia xanthochymus)

Garcinia xanthochymus is a garcinia with bright yellow, sour fruit, called the egg tree in English and dampel in the north-east. It grows wild from the eastern Himalaya to the Western Ghats and is planted in home gardens. The ripe fruit is made into jams, chutneys and souring agents, much as other garcinias are.

Botanical name: Garcinia xanthochymus Hook.f. ex T.Anderson
Family: Clusiaceae
Tamil: Kulavi
Hindi: Dampel
Parts used: Fruit (after it ripens)
Habit: Yellow sour Garcinia; gamboge is a shop word
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Mysore gamboge

It is a straight evergreen tree with a dense, pyramidal crown and long, narrow, leathery leaves in opposite pairs, often drooping.

Clusters of small white flowers grow directly on the branches. They are followed by smooth, round fruit about the size of a small orange, bright yellow when ripe, with a short point at the tip.

Cut the fruit or the bark and a yellow latex oozes out. The species name means “yellow juice”.

Garcinia morella, the gamboge tree, has much smaller fruit and is grown for resin, not food.

Traditional use of Mysore gamboge

Kitchen

In Assam, Meghalaya and the Western Ghats the ripe fruit is eaten fresh, cooked into sour curries and dals, made into jam and pickle, or dried as a souring agent.

North-east and Western Ghats food practice

Dye

The yellow latex has been used as a dye and pigment, a minor cousin of true gamboge.

Regional craft practice

Modern notes on Mysore gamboge

Like other garcinias, the fruit contains organic acids and xanthones. Food scientists study it as an underused fruit for processing.

There is no good evidence for the weight-loss claims made about garcinia fruit extracts in general.

Mysore gamboge safety

Eat the ripe fruit as food, in the amounts local cooking uses. Concentrated garcinia weight-loss supplements are a different matter and have been linked to liver problems.

Ecology and sourcing

In the wild it grows in evergreen forest along streams. In gardens it tolerates shade and is often planted as an ornamental for its neat crown and yellow fruit.

The fruit feeds birds and mammals that disperse the seeds.

Related plants

Also in Clusiaceae

Questions about Mysore gamboge

Is Mysore gamboge gamboge?

Not the main gamboge. Its yellow latex is a minor dye. Indian gamboge comes from Garcinia morella.

Can you eat the fruit of Mysore gamboge?

Yes, when ripe. It is sour and usually cooked, pickled or made into jam.

What older names does Garcinia xanthochymus go by?

Garcinia tinctoria.

Sources

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.