Bergera koenigii, synonym Murraya koenigii, and commonly known as curry tree, curry bush or sweet neem, is a tree in the citrus family Rutaceae, first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1767. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, southern China and mainland Southeast Asia, and it has been introduced to other parts of southeast Asia and to Australia. Its leaves are used in many culinary dishes in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Description
thumb|The small flowers are white and fragrant.
thumb|A leaflet (a 'curry leaf') close up
thumb|Ripe and unripe fruits
It is a small to medium-sized tropical tree, typically growing 4–6 metres (13–20 ft) tall but capable of reaching up to 8–10 metres (26–33 ft) under favourable conditions, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter. The aromatic leaves are pinnate, with 11–21 leaflets, each leaflet long and 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 flavor.
Cultivation
It grows best in well-drained soil that does not dry out, in areas with full sun or partial shade, preferably away from the wind. Growth is more robust when temperatures are at least .
Etymology and common names
The word 'curry' is borrowed from the Tamil word kari ('spiced sauce' or 'meat'). The name of the plant in Tamil is also sometimes associated with the perceived blackness of the tree's leaves ('karuveppilai', meaning dark leaves), though the English word curry stems from its use in spiced dishes. The records of the leaves being utilized are found in Tamil literature dating back to the 1st and 4th centuries CE. Britain had spice trades with the ancient Tamil region. It was introduced to England in the late 16th century..
The species Bergera koenigii was first published by Carl Linnaeus in Mantissa Plantarum vol.2 on page 563 in 1767. Some sources still recognise it as the accepted name.
The former generic name, Murraya, derives from Johan 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.
The curry tree is also called curry leaf tree or curry bush, among numerous local names, depending on the country.
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; additionally, they are often dry-roasted (and then ground) in the preparation of various powdered spice blends (masalas), such as South Indian sambar masala, the main seasoning in the ubiquitous vegetable stew sambar. The curry leaves are also added as flavoring to masala dosa, the South Indian potato-filled dosas, made with a mildly probiotic, fermented lentil and rice batter. The fresh leaves are valued as seasoning in the cuisines of South and Southeast Asia. but there is no high-quality clinical evidence for such effects.
The berries are edible, but the seeds may be toxic to humans.
Propagation
Seeds must be ripe and fresh to plant; dried or shriveled fruits are not viable. The skin must be peeled off, and this is recommended before planting. One can plant the whole fruit, but it is best to remove the pulp before planting in a potting mix that is kept moist but not wet. Stem cuttings can be also used for propagation.
Chemical constituents
thumb|Chemical structure of [[girinimbine.]]
Compounds found in curry tree leaves, stems, bark, and seeds include cinnamaldehyde, and numerous carbazole alkaloids, including mahanimbine, girinimbine, and mahanine.
Major odor compounds contained in the leaves are the sulfury-smelling 1-phenylethanethiol, the citrusy-smelling linalool, the resinous-smelling α-pinene, eucalyptol, the grassy-smelling cis-3-hexenal, methional, myrcene, cis-3-hexen-1-ol and trans,cis-2,6-nonadienal.
Nutritionally, the leaves are a rich source of carotenoids, beta-carotene, calcium and iron.