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Thursday, February 10, 2011

A Bitter Gooseberry Is The Indian Cure-All

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An Indian government banner promoting the health benefits of the Indian gooseberry, or "amla." (Flickr/Hari Prasad Nadig)

An Indian government banner promoting the health benefits of the Indian gooseberry, or “amla.” (Flickr/Hari Prasad Nadig)

If you live in India and you’ve got the cold or flu, you might be told to eat some “amla,” or Indian gooseberry.  The fruit is loaded with vitamins and is sold in a host of forms to treat everything from the common cold to baldness. But it’s also incredibly bitter.

Here and Now’s Jill Ryan profiles a family in Ahmedabad, India, who earns a living making the fruit taste better. This segment originally aired on World Vision Report.

Other stories from Thursday's show

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

  • rich

    Is amla sour or bitter? In this story, both words were used, but they are opposites. A low pH (acidity) gives a sour flavor, while a high pH (alkalinity)
    gives a bitter flavor. Also, I wonder how closely related is it to the chinese gooseberry (cultivated as kiwifruit).

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