Sal, Shorea robusta, is the great forest tree of north, central and eastern India, forming vast forests from the Himalayan foothills to Odisha. Its leaves make the plates and cups of village feasts, its resin is burnt as incense, and its seeds yield sal butter, used as a cocoa butter substitute in chocolate. Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha was born and died beneath sal trees.
- Botanical name
- Shorea robusta Gaertn.
- Family
- Dipterocarpaceae
- Tamil
- Sal
- Hindi
- Sal
- Parts used
- Resin (historical), Seed (oil, not a first kitchen)
- Habit
- North Indian dipterocarp; teak is Tectona
- Last updated
- 2026-10-25
How to recognise Sal
It is a tall, straight tree with thick, deeply furrowed bark and large, broad, shiny leaves.
In the hot season it briefly loses many of its leaves and flushes fresh ones along with sprays of small, pale yellow, fragrant flowers.
The fruit is a small nut surrounded by five wings, three long and two short, which spin as it falls.
Teak, Tectona grandis, often grows nearby but has huge, rough, sandpapery leaves and papery, inflated fruit.
Traditional use of Sal
Leaf plates
Sal leaves are stitched with twigs into plates and bowls, called pattal and dona, a major source of income for forest families.
Central and eastern Indian forest practice
Resin and seed
The resin, ral, is burnt as incense and used in varnish. The seeds are collected, pressed, and sold for sal butter and oil.
Indian forest economy
Sacred tree
Sal is sacred in Buddhism and in the traditions of many Adivasi communities, for whom sal groves are sites of worship.
Buddhist and Adivasi traditions
Modern notes on Sal
Sal seed fat is approved as a cocoa butter equivalent in chocolate in several countries. Seed collection is one of India’s largest forest-based livelihoods.
Sal forests store large amounts of carbon and support tigers, elephants and many birds.
Sal safety
Sal leaf plates are a long-standing food-contact material. Do not swallow the resin.
Ecology and sourcing
It dominates moist and dry deciduous forests across a broad belt of north, central and eastern India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Sal seeds lose viability within days, so regeneration depends on good monsoon conditions right after seed fall.
Related plants
Also in Dipterocarpaceae
Questions about Sal
Is Sal teak?
No. Teak is Tectona grandis, with rough, sandpapery leaves.
Is sal resin kungiliyam?
In some Tamil and Siddha lists, yes. The word covers several resins.
What is sal butter?
Fat pressed from sal seeds, used in chocolate and cosmetics.
Sources
- Shorea robusta Gaertn. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q909828 (Shorea robusta)
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.