Ikako: what kind of fruit is it and how is it healthy

Ikako is a tropical fruit called golden or coconut plum. It is similar in appearance to other varieties of plums and also has many useful properties that allow it to be used for medicinal or cosmetic purposes.

What is this fruit

Golden plum (or icako) belongs to the chrysobalan family. Despite the resemblance to a regular, garden plum, these are two completely different fruits. Each fruit contains many beneficial substances. Many plums are prepared from golden plums, it is used in cosmetology and traditional medicine.

Today, gardeners are increasingly choosing coconut plum as a fruit tree. This is due to the fact that the plant is unpretentious and does not require careful care.

What does it look like

Golden plum is a small tree, differs in a dense crown. Plant height can reach one meter. Often ikako grows in tropical latitudes near coastal zones. But today it is cultivated in Russia.

A feature of the plant is its resistance to salt soil. That is why it is used for landing near the coast. This allows not only to protect themselves from the wind from the water, but also to decorate the area.

The way the golden plum grows can be compared to grapes. First of all, it is formed by clusters. Also, fruits, like grapes, ripen in late summer.

Ikako got its name because of the golden color of the fruit. The flesh is pale yellow. Fruits grow in clusters of trees. The plum has a regular round shape. The fruit, having reached full maturity, has a tart and sweet taste with a slight acidity. Coconut plum has a large bone, from which the flesh is difficult to separate.

Where grows

Africa is considered the birthplace of ikako. The plant can be found in America. It grows in coastal areas. Also, gold plum grows in South America, the Bahamas, southern Florida, and the Caribbean.

Coconut plum is also grown for decorative purposes. The plant loves moist soil, sandy shores and swamps.

The benefits of ikako

The fruit contains many useful trace elements, vitamins. Its composition includes potassium, calcium, magnesium. All of them have a positive effect on bone tissue and heart muscle.

The composition contains vitamins of group B, which have a complex effect on the body, help maintain the functioning of the nervous, digestive, urinary systems, visual apparatus.

Thanks to all the substances included in the composition, gold plum has the following useful properties:

1. Excretion of radionuclides. The process is facilitated by pectin, which also helps to remove salts, heavy metals.
2. Lower cholesterol. Ikako allows you to lower the content of bad cholesterol, which is deposited on the vascular walls and leads to circulatory disorders.
3. Recovery of water metabolism. A similar property is due to the presence of potassium in the composition.
4. Maintaining heart muscle performance. Magnesium and potassium have a positive effect on it.
5. Prevention and treatment of constipation. Ikako contains a sufficient amount of fiber, which has a mild laxative effect.
6. Vasodilation and prevention of thrombosis. This happens with the help of coumarin, which is part of the coconut plum.

The presence of certain components in the fruit helps to cope with diseases such as atherosclerosis and gout.

In addition, regular use of ikako helps restore normal levels of insulin and blood sugar.That is why the fruits are recommended for diabetes.

But when using a golden plum, you should remember that it has a slight laxative effect. It is carefully given to children.

Ikako, even after heat treatment, does not lose its beneficial properties. It can be canned, frozen. At the same time, the amount of useful trace elements and vitamins is practically unchanged.

Which may be harmful

Despite the fact that the golden plum brings invaluable benefits to the body due to its composition, in some cases it can be harmful.

First of all, it should not be eaten in the presence of individual intolerance. Experts do not recommend eating fruit in large quantities to people who are still unfamiliar with it, since an allergic reaction can occur. Most often, it manifests itself in the form of a rash and redness of the surface of the skin, itching. But in severe cases, allergy manifests itself in the form of Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock. That is why you need to try the golden plum for the first time in small quantities, not more than one teaspoon of pulp. In the absence of a negative reaction, the amount is gradually increased.

Coconut plum also has a small laxative effect, which is important to consider when giving fruit to children and pregnant women.

It is not recommended to use ikako in dried form for obese people. Refuse fruit juice should be with gout and rheumatism.

With proper use, coconut plum will only benefit the body, and the negative effects will not occur.

How to eat icako

Ikako is a tropical fruit that recently appeared on the shelves of large stores. That is why not everyone knows how to use gold plum.

Eat fresh fruit. Often, icako is also used to prepare various dishes. It is perfect for jelly or jam, as a filling for pies, a delicious additive to ice cream.

Thanks to its amazing taste, coconut plum will help to make dessert sweet, fragrant and give it sourness.

Where else is icako applied

Ikako is used in Africa for the preparation of natural black paint. To do this, use the pulp of the fruit. In places where golden plums grow, leaves, bark and seeds are used. They make soap and oils, candles and greases due to the high content of essential oils.

Leaves will also be beneficial for the body. They are used to make healing tea. The drink helps to cope with diseases of the bladder and kidneys.

In Africa, healers use bark and leaves to make potions for diabetes, dysentery, and diarrhea. Some experts argue that due to the content of specific components in the composition of icako, the fruit helps to reduce the risk of developing cancerous tumors.

Golden plum in cooking: what can be cooked

Coconut plum fruits are widely used in cooking for preparing various dishes. Ikako is often the main ingredient in compotes, jams, preserves. To enhance the taste and aroma of conservation, it is used for the preparation of marinades.

Golden plum is also used for baking. She is a great addition to cakes. Ikako is also added to desserts.

Also, the fruit is frozen and pickled for the winter. For longer storage, it can be dried. Shelf life of dried golden plums is 2 years, subject to all the rules. At home, ikako is popular dessert, which is prepared from salted dried plums.

In Japan, salted plums are popular. This dish is called umeboshi. They are added during the preparation of rice koloboks, which gives the dish a special aroma, taste and adds sourness.

When using golden plums in the cooking process, you should use the following rules:

1. Compote is boiled from large fruits. They contain more juice and pulp.
2. In jam use only fruits of the same ripeness.
3. Before placing jam in jars, it should be blanched to prevent sugaring or fermentation of the finished product.
4. For the marinade take ripe and unripe fruits. They are well suited as a complement to poultry, meat dishes. Golden pickled plum is used in the preparation of pilaf.
5. Before using the fruit, the fruit is pierced with a toothpick in several places. This will help them maintain their regular round shape.
6. Ikako bones are usually removed before use in cooking. But they can also be present as an enhancer of taste and aroma.

Application in traditional medicine

Ikako was widely used in folk medicine due to its rich composition. The most popular recipes are:

From the common cold

The composition of fruits contains a large amount of vitamins. They help maintain the body's defenses and prevent the development of complications. To do this, prepare a special decoction of 10 g of tree bark and 750 ml of water. All boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Then wrap the container with the solution and let it brew for half an hour. After this, the broth is filtered. Use during the day in small sips in the form of heat.

For constipation

To eliminate stagnant processes in the intestine, take 100 g of golden plum, remove the bones, pour a glass of hot water. Everyone insists, wrapping the container for an hour. The infusion is drunk in a warm form. Fruits can also be consumed.

For pain in the lumbar

To eliminate pain in the lumbar region, a healing remedy is prepared from 25 g of golden plum seed. They are dried and ground into powder. All pour a glass of vodka and leave for a week in a dark place. Used as a grind.

From corns

Gold plum, pre-stoned, brewed with heated milk. Hot corn is applied to the corn.

Before using traditional medicine recipes, you should make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the components included in the funds. It is also important to remember that treatment should be comprehensive. Along with tinctures, rubbing, and use medicines prescribed by the doctor.

Application in cosmetology

Due to the fact that icako contains essential oils, vitamins and minerals, it is also used in cosmetology. Gold plum is usually used to create face masks. They can slow down aging, remove fine wrinkles and saturate the skin with vitamins.

Here are some popular masks.

For oily skin

Knead two plums in mashed potatoes, add a teaspoon of protein, apple, carrot and white wine.

Wrinkle

In equal parts, honey and icako pulp are mixed, yolk is added. All are mixed.

From freckles

Knead the fruit until gruel, add a teaspoon of onion juice and garlic. Insist 5 minutes and apply pointwise.

Golden plum will help restore the natural color and shine of the skin, get rid of wrinkles and prolong youth.

How to grow

Ikako can be grown in several ways. The most common is using bone. They are removed from the fruit, washed and dried. Then planted in seedling pots or open ground.

The second way is simpler. It involves the use of a finished seedling. It can be purchased at specialized nurseries. Before planting in the ground, prepare a place. The distance between the trees should be at least 3 meters. The depth of planting a seedling is approximately 60 centimeters.

Immediately after planting a seed or seedling, the earth should be regularly watered and fertilized. Feeding and trimming should also be done in a timely manner.

Ikako or golden, coconut plum has recently been widely used in cooking, cosmetology and traditional medicine.Today it is grown in the central part and in the south of the country. The fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and the plant does not require a special move. After the plum has ripened, it can be consumed fresh, used to make jam, jam, marinade or frozen. But it is important to remember that she should not be abused. In large quantities, the fruit can harm the body. Gold plum is given with caution to children. Ikako will benefit if used properly.

Ikako fruit photo