A brown astringent extract from the heartwood of acacia trees, used historically in tanning leather, dyeing fabrics, and in traditional medicines.
From Hindi 'kāṭh' or Malay 'kachu,' borrowed into English in the 1600s through trade with India and Southeast Asia; it comes from Sanskrit 'kāṣṭha' meaning 'wood.'
Catechu was one of the spice trade's hidden gems—less famous than pepper or cinnamon but absolutely essential for the leather industry, which is why European powers competed fiercely for control of the Indian Ocean trade routes.
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