Murraya koenigii Seeds
Curry Tree, Curry Leaf Tree, Curry Bush
The curry tree, Murraya koenigii, is a tropical to sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae and is native to Asia. The plant is also sometimes called sweet neem, though Murraya koenigii is in a different family to neem, Azadirachta indica, which is in the related family Meliaceae. Its leaves, known as curry leaves, are used in many dishes in the Indian subcontinent. The generic name, Murraya, derives from Johann Andreas Murray (1740-1791), who studied botany under Carl Linnaeus and became a professor of medicine with an interest in medicinal plants at the University of Göttingen, Germany. The specific name, koenigii, derives from the last name of botanist Johann Gerhard König. Curry tree is also called curry leaf tree or curry bush, among numerous local names, depending on the country. It is a small tree, growing 46 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter. The aromatic leaves are pinnate, with 1121 leaflets, each leaflet 24 cm long and 12 cm broad. The plant produces small white flowers which can self-pollinate to produce small shiny-black drupes containing a single, large viable seed. The berry pulp is edible, with a sweet flavour. The tree is native to the Indian subcontinent. Commercial plantations have also been established in India. It grows best in well-drained soils in areas with full sun or partial shade, preferably away from the wind. Growth is more robust when temperatures are at least 18°C. The fresh leaves are an indispensable part of Indian cuisine and Indian traditional medicines. They are most widely used in southern and west coast Indian cooking, usually fried along with vegetable oil, mustard seeds and chopped onions in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada, rasam and kadhi. The fresh leaves are valued as seasoning in the cuisines of South and Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, where the leaves are called sloek kontroap, the leaves are roasted and used as an ingredient in a soup, maju krueng. In Java, the leaves are often stewed to flavour gulai. Though available dried, the aroma and flavour is greatly inferior. The oil can be extracted and used to make scented soaps. The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as an herb in Ayurvedic and Siddha medicine in which they are believed to possess anti-disease properties, but there is no high-quality clinical evidence for such effects.
