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Herb knowledgeAmbazham
Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz · Anacardiaceae
Ambazham is the Indian hog plum, amra in Hindi and Bengali, a deciduous tree of the mango family whose sour green fruits are pickled across India. Kerala makes ambazhanga achar, Bengal amra chutney, Assam amora pickle and the Konkan ambade curries. The fruit has a fibrous stone and a sharp, resinous sourness. It is not mango and not the red mombin of the Americas.
- Botanical name
- Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Tamil
- Ambazham
- Hindi
- Amra
- Sanskrit
- Āmrātaka
- Parts used
- Fruit, Leaf in some kitchens
- Habit
- Wild hog plum tree; the sour fruit is pickled
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Ambazham
It is a medium to large deciduous tree with smooth grey bark that smells of resin when cut.
The leaves are pinnate, with five to eleven pointed, oval leaflets, and smell of mango when crushed.
Tiny whitish flowers grow in large, loose clusters at the branch tips, usually when the tree is leafless.
The fruit is an oval drupe, three to five centimetres long, green turning yellow, around a hard, fibrous stone.
Mango has simple leaves, not pinnate ones.
Traditional use of Ambazham
Kitchen
Green fruits are cut and pickled in oil and chilli in Kerala and Karnataka, and cooked into sweet-sour amra chutney in Bengal.
South and East Indian food practice
Kitchen
In the Konkan the fruit sours fish and vegetable curries, and in north-east India and Thailand young leaves are eaten.
Konkan and north-east Indian food practice
Folk use
Bark and leaves appear in tribal folk remedies across central and eastern India.
Indian tribal practice
Modern notes on Ambazham
The fruit is rich in vitamin C and organic acids, which give it sourness.
Studies on bark and fruit extracts are mostly laboratory work.
Trees grow easily from large cuttings, and farmers plant them as live fence posts.
Ambazham safety
The fruit is a safe food. Its sourness can irritate the mouth if eaten in quantity raw, so it is usually pickled or cooked.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows wild in deciduous forests from India to South-east Asia.
Bees visit the flowers, and deer, monkeys and birds eat fallen fruit.
It sheds its leaves in the dry season.
Related plants
Also in Anacardiaceae
Questions about Ambazham
Is hog plum related to mango?
Yes. Both belong to the family Anacardiaceae.
What is amra chutney?
A sweet-sour Bengali chutney of hog plum.
Can the fruit of Ambazham be eaten raw?
It can, but it is very sour; it is usually pickled.
How is Ambazham grown?
Easily from large stem cuttings.
Is Ambazham the same as the red mombin?
No. Red mombin is Spondias purpurea, from the Americas.
Sources
- Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q9395416 (Spondias pinnata)
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.