An East Indian fruit tree (Dillenia indica) bearing large, round fruits with acid pulp used in curries, preserves, and beverages.
From Hindi and Bengali चाल्टा (chalta), a word native to South Asian languages describing this regionally important fruit tree. The term entered English botanical vocabulary through colonial trade and naturalist documentation during British rule in India.
The chalta fruit is simultaneously three different foods—locals eat the immature fruit as a vegetable, the ripe fruit as a sweet treat, and drink its juice as a cooling beverage. Few plants are so versatile that they span the entire meal from savory to sweet!
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