Starfruit / Carambola

So called because cut cross sections look like stars. There are sour and sweet varieties. The sour ones are quite tangy when young and are excellent for pickling. The adult ones can be used in curries as an excellent substitute for tamarind. The sweet ones are delicious to eat when ripe. The juice is reputed to lower cholesterol and excess fat. To get rid of phlegm and cold, our elders used to skewer the ripe ones on an ‘irkil’ – rib of the coconut leaf – and roast them a bit on glowing coals. Then, the fruit was crushed and the juice was mixed with powdered ‘kalkandam’ – rock candy – and taken by both child and adult patients.