Ajay Kumar at 19:50, 30 August 2023

2023-08-30T19:50:40Z

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{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{speciesbox
|name = Indian bay leaf
|image = Indian_bay_leaf_-_tejpatta_-_indisches_Lorbeerblatt.jpg
|image_caption = Semi-dried Indian bay leaves
|genus = Cinnamomum
|species = tamala
|authority = ([[Francis Buchanan-Hamilton|Buch.-Ham.]]) [[Theodor Friedrich Ludwig Nees von Esenbeck|T.Nees]] & [[Carl Heinrich Ebermaier|C.H.Eberm.]]
|synonyms =
* ''Cinnamomum albiflorum'' Nees
* ''Cinnamomum cassia'' D.Don nom. illeg.
* ''Cinnamomum lindleyi'' Lukman.
* ''Cinnamomum macrocarpum''<ref>Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants</ref>
* ''Cinnamomum pauciflorum'' var. ''tazia'' (Buch.-Ham.) [[Carl Meissner|Meisn.]]
* ''Cinnamomum reinwardtii'' Nees
* ''Cinnamomum veitchii'' Lukman.
* ''Cinnamomum zwartzii'' Lukman.
* ''Laurus tamala'' Buch.-Ham.
|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2721651|title=The Plant List: A Working List of all Plant Species}}</ref>
}}

'''''Cinnamomum tamala''''', '''Indian bay leaf'',''''' also known as '''tejpat''''',<ref name=GRIN/> '''''tejapatta''''','' '''Malabar leaf''', '''Indian bark''',<ref name="GRIN">{{GRIN | access-date = 12 December 2017}}</ref> '''Indian cassia''',<ref name="GRIN" /> or '''malabathrum''', is a tree in the family [[Lauraceae]] that is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.<ref name="GRIN" /> It can grow up to {{convert|20|m|abbr=on}} tall.<ref name="FoC">{{cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200008729 |title=''Cinnamomum tamala'' |author=Xi-wen Li, Jie Li & Henk van der Werff |work=Flora of China |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA |access-date=29 March 2013}}</ref> Its leaves have a clove-like aroma with a hint of peppery taste; they are used for culinary and medicinal purposes. It is thought to have been one of the major sources of the medicinal plant leaves known in classic and medieval times as '''[[malabathrum]]''' (or malobathrum).<ref>{{cite book|author=Umberto Quattrocchi|title=CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology (5 Volume Set)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-37OBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA959|year=2016|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4822-5064-0|pages=959+}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
The leaves, known as ''tējapattā'' or ''tejpatta'' ([[wiktionary:तेजपत्ता|तेजपत्ता]]) in [[Hindi]], ''tejpat'' (तेजपात/তেজপাত) in [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]] and [[Assamese language|Assamese]], ''tejpata'' ([[wikt:তেজপাতা|তেজপাতা]]) in [[Bengali language|Bengali]], ''vazhanayila/edanayila'' ([[:ml:വഴന|വഴനയില/എടനഇല]]) in [[Malayalam]], ''kadu dhalchini'' ([[:kn:ಕಾಡು ದಾಲ್ಚಿನ್ನಿ]]) in [[Kannada]], and ''tamalpatra'' (તમલપત્ર) in [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], or तमालपत्र in [[Marathi language|Marathi]] and in original [[Sanskrit]], are used extensively in the cuisines of [[India]], [[Nepal]], and [[Bhutan]], particularly in the [[Moghul cuisine]] of [[North India]] and Nepal and in ''[[tsheringma]]'' herbal tea in Bhutan. It is called ''biryani aaku'' or ''bagharakku'' in [[Telugu language|Telugu]].

The [[Lepcha people|Lepcha]] of [[Sikkim]] call it {{lang|lep|naap saor koong}}.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tamsang |first1=K.P. |title=The Lepcha-English Encyclopaedic Dictionary |date=1980 |publisher=Mrs. Mayel Clymit Tamsang |location=Kalimpong |page=509| isbn = 9632535979}}</ref>
[[File:Wrapped Kumbilappam - Kerala - IMG 20210331 171153.jpg|thumb|Kumbilappam wrapped in Indian bay leaf]]
It is often used in [[:ml:കുമ്പിളപ്പം|kumbilappam or chakka-ada (ചക്ക അട)]], an authentic sweet from Kerala, infusing its characteristic flavor to the dumplings. They are often labeled as "Indian [[Bay leaf|bay leaves]]," or just "bay leaf", causing confusion with the leaf from the [[bay laurel]], a tree of Mediterranean origin in a different genus; the appearance and aroma of the two are quite different. Bay laurel leaves are shorter and light- to medium-green in color, with one large vein down the length of the leaf, while ''tejpat'' leaves are about twice as long and wider, usually olive green in color, with three veins down the length of the leaf. There are five types of ''tejpat'' leaves<ref>{{cite book|author1=P N Ravindran|author2=K Nirmal-Babu|author3=M Shylaja|title=Cinnamon and Cassia: The Genus Cinnamomum|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KZa8aPxR_-wC&pg=PA199|date=29 December 2003|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-0-203-59087-4|pages=199+}}</ref> and they impart a strong cassia- or cinnamon-like aroma to dishes, while the bay laurel leaf's aroma is more reminiscent of pine and lemon.
[[File:Cinnamomum tamala W IMG 2433.jpg|thumb|190px|Leaves in [[Goa]]]]
[[File:Cinnamomum tamala W IMG 2436.jpg|thumb|Tree in Goa]]

== Aroma attributes ==

* [[Beta-caryophyllene]]<ref name=eocs>{{cite journal| last1 = Ahmed| first1 = Aftab| title = Essential oil constituents of the spice ''Cinnamomum tamala'' (Ham.) Nees & Eberm.| journal = Flavour and Fragrance Journal| volume = 15| issue = 6| pages = 388–390| year = 2000| doi = 10.1002/1099-1026(200011/12)15:6<388::AID-FFJ928>3.0.CO;2-F| last2 = Choudhary| first2 = M. Iqbal | last3 = Farooq | first3 = Afgan| last4 =Demirci | first4 = Betül| last5 = Demirci| first5 = Fatih| last6 = Can Başer| first6 = K. Hüsnü |display-authors=etal}}</ref>
* [[Linalool]]<ref name=eocs />
* [[Caryophyllene oxide]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
* [[Eugenol]]<ref name=qdec>{{cite journal| last1 = Dighe| first1 = V. V.| title = Quantitative Determination of Eugenol from ''Cinnamomum tamala'' Nees and Eberm. Leaf Powder and Polyherbal Formulation Using Reverse Phase Liquid Chromatography| journal = Chromatographia| volume = 61| issue = 9–10| pages = 443–446| year = 2005 | doi = 10.1365/s10337-005-0527-6| last2 = Gursale| first2 = A. A.| last3 = Sane| first3 = R. T.| last4 = Menon| first4 = S.| last5 = Patel| first5 = P. H.| s2cid = 97399632|display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref name=aase>{{cite journal| last1 = Rao| first1 = Chandana Venkateswara| title = Antidiarrhoeal activity of the standardised extract of ''Cinnamomum tamala'' in experimental rats| journal = Journal of Natural Medicines| volume = 62| issue = 4| pages = 396–402| year = 2008| doi = 10.1007/s11418-008-0258-8| pmid = 18493839 | last2 = Vijayakumar | first2 = M | last3 = Sairam | first3 = K| last4 = Kumar| first4 = V| s2cid = 8641540|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

==Uses==
The bark is sometimes used for cooking, although it is regarded as inferior to [[Cinnamomum verum|true cinnamon]] or [[Cinnamomum aromaticum|cassia]].

==Etymology==
[[Malabar region|Malabar]] had been traditionally used to denote the west coast of Southern India that forms the present-day state of [[Kerala]] and adjoining areas. The word ''mala'' or ''malaya'' means "mountain" in the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Malayalam]] languages, as also in Sanskrit. The word "malabathrum" is thought to have been derived from the Sanskrit ''tamālapattram'' (तमालपत्त्रम्), literally meaning "dark-tree leaves".


==Related species==
*[[Cinnamomum aromaticum|Cassia]]
*[[Cinnamon]]
*[[Saigon cinnamon]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite journal |last1=Sharma |first1=Vasundhara |last2=Rao |first2=Lingamallu Jagan Mohan |title=An Overview on Chemical Composition, Bioactivity and Processing of Leaves of Cinnamomum tamala |journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition |date=January 2014 |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=433–448 |doi=10.1080/10408398.2011.587615 |pmid=24236996 |s2cid=46178245 }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Pandey |first1=A. K. |last2=Mishra |first2=A. K. |last3=Mishra |first3=A. |title=Antifungal and antioxidative potential of oil and extracts derived from leaves of Indian spice plant Cinnamomum tamala |journal=Cellular and Molecular Biology |date=22 December 2012 |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=142–147 |pmid=23273204 |url=https://cellmolbiol.org/index.php/CMB/article/view/589 }}
* [http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Cinn_tam.html Indian bay-leaf page from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages]

{{Commons category|Cinnamomum tamala}}
{{Wikispecies|Cinnamomum tamala}}

{{Herbs & spices}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1661611}}

[[Category:Cinnamomum|tamala]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of Asia]]
[[Category:Leaves]]
[[Category:Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Bhutanese cuisine]]
[[Category:Trees of China]]
[[Category:Flora of the Indian subcontinent]]
[[Category:Indian spices]]

Cinnamomum tamala - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 19:50, 30 August 2023