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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

All About Downy Myrtle

According to Indian
folklore, Krishna created downy myrtle to feed each of the Pandava brothers,
Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, Looking at the fruit’s
calyx, each of the five lobes allegedly represents a brother. Along with
issuing a fruit in their honor, Krishna also created a union of the heavenly
bodies for the brothers, gave instructions to them during the war, and offered
fighting tips on how to slay various enemies.

Indonesia's representation of the five Pandava brothers

Origin of Downy Myrtle

Downy myrtle originates
in South Asia from the regions encompassing India to the Philippines. While the
fruit itself is not well recognized, various parts of the shrub features in
several medicinal practices from Chinese medicine to Ayurveda.

Initially, plant
researchers grouped downy myrtle with other plants in the Myrtus genus. When astute German explorer Justus Karl Hasskarl
(1811-1894) noticed the fruits growing in the East Indies, he observed several
critical distinctions between downy myrtle and other plants in the genus. In
1842, he changed the plant’s categorization from Myrtus to Rhodomyrtus.

Today, the plant’s growth
remains limited to its regions of origin, including Hong Kong, Myanmar, Taiwan,
Laos, Indonesia, Malayasia, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, China
and Sri Lanka. It’s naturalized in Florida, Hawaii, and parts of French
Polynesia. In the US, however, downy myrtle is a garden shrub.

Few, if any of these
countries sell downy myrtle commercially. In fact, Hawaii and parts of
Polynesia consider the plant an invasive species. New Zealand banned downy
myrtle from entering its soils, and Australia monitors its growth carefully to
ensure it doesn’t crowd out other native plants.

Availability of Downy Myrtle in
India

Downy myrtle grows in a
number of climates, from wetlands, bogs, forests and coastlines. It thrives in
any elevation up to 2,400meters. The shrub fights vigorously for survival, often
at the expense of other plants. Indeed, farmers grumble that it’s harder to
remove downy myrtle than to grow it.

In India, the plants grow
wild in the Himalayan region and function as a fire retardant. Though locals in
the north eat hill gooseberries when in season, they’re not a commercial crop.
Throughout the world, people grow downy myrtles for their ornamental value and
bright flowers rather than their fruit. Birds also have the tendency to eat
small, purple fruits long before humans can pluck them.

If looking for the fruit,
a few plants grow in the Nilgiri biosphere reserve.

Checking for Ripeness in Downy
Myrtle

Downy myrtle’s beautiful,
vibrant flowering season is the highlight of owning a plant. The fast-growing
shrub houses hundreds of pink and pinkish-white flowers. When fruiting, the
shrub grows purple, grayish berries with a velvety texture. On the bush, unripe
berries are greenish white and deepen in color over time. Select the fruits
that are darkest in color for the sweetest, mellowest taste.

Taste of Downy Myrtle

Unripe fruits taste
astringent, but develop a thick, soft texture and sweet taste when ripe. Downy
myrtle’s jam-like flesh contains many small, tasteless seeds, none of which
require removal. Its texture is richer than most berries and resembles a guava.

Many liken the fruit’s
taste to grape, blueberries, pomegranates, and raspberries. Others give it a
less favorable review, deeming it mouth puckering and astringent. One large determinant of the taste is growing conditions:
Cultivated downy myrtles taste sweeter than wild fruits.

Nutritional Value of Downy Myrtle

According to the book,
“Nutritive Value of Indian Foods,” downy myrtle contains the following values:

According to the book,
“Encyclopedic Reference of Traditional Chinese Medicine,” downy myrtle has a number
of applications, and healers have used to fruit to tonify the blood, clean the
bowels, strengthen kidneys, and preserve semen.

The book, “Holistic
Approaches to Liver Diseases” also lauds the root for its ability to treat
anicteric viruses, infections, and acute and chronic hepatitis. Old Malaysian
texts cite the fruit’s ability to treat dysentery
and diarrhea. The leaves are used
for similar treatments, in addition to its use as medicine post-child birth. To treat wounds, Indonesians crush the
leaves and apply them as a poultice.

Every part of the berry
is edible, including the skin and seeds. Remove the calyx or, crown-like leaves
near the fruit’s stem, and enjoy out of hand. Eating or preparing the berry is
no different than using blueberries or blackberries: chop, or add whole.

Storage:

Keep downy myrtle in the
fridge, and do not remove the calyxes or wash until ready for consumption. To
prevent bruising, spread the fruits apart and place in a clamshell or shallow
container.

Downy Myrtle Recipe Ideas and Uses:

--Its pulp, when boiled
with sugar, makes a good jam and compote.
Use a potato masher to pound the fruit until sufficiently pulpy. Heat the
fruits in a shallow pan at a low temperature and add sugar, constantly stirring
the concoction until sufficiently reduced. Transfer to a sterile jar and use
the compote within a week.

--To make pie filling, mix 4 cups of downy myrtle
with 2/3 cups of sugar with 1/3 cup of flour.

--Pulverize
the fruits and added to sherbets and
ice cream

--Add
with other berries as part of a berry
smoothie

--Substitute
the fruit for any recipe calling for blueberry
pulp

--Downy
myrtle goes well in sweet bread recipes.
A recipe for 12 medium-sized muffins
only requires ½ cup of flesh for the taste to be noticeable.