Curry tree/ja

この記事は、 インド料理によく用いられる香りの高い葉を生産する木についての説明である。ヨーロッパ原産の、時にカレープラントとも呼ばれる植物については、 Helichrysum italicum/jaを参照してください。

カレーの木
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Genus:	Bergera
Species:	koenigii
Binomial name
koenigii (L.)
Synonyms
Camunium koenigii (L.) Kuntze Chalcas koenigii (L.) Kurz Chalcas siamensis (Craib) Tanaka Murraya foetidissima Teijsm. & Binn. Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. Murraya siamensis Craib Nimbo melioides Dennst.

カレの木(curry tree)またはBergera koenigii (syn. Murraya koenigii)は、アジア原産の熱帯および亜熱帯の木であり、ミカン科（ヘンルーダのほか、柑橘類、そしてセイロンサテンウッドを含む）に属する。この植物は「スイートニーム」と呼ばれることもあるが、ニーム（Azadirachta indica）はB. koenigiiとは異なる科、すなわち関連するセンダン科に属する。

その葉は「カレーリーフ」として知られ、「スイートニーム」とも呼ばれるが、インド、スリランカ、バングラデシュの多くの料理で使われる。

Description

The small flowers are white and fragrant.

A leaflet (a 'curry leaf') close up

Ripe and unripe fruits

It is a small tree, growing 4–6 metres (13–20 ft)) tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter. The aromatic leaves are pinnate, with 11–21 leaflets, each leaflet 2–4 cm (³⁄₄–1 ¹⁄₂ in) long and 1–2 cm (¹⁄₂–³⁄₄ in) 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.

Distribution and habitat

The tree is native to the Indian subcontinent. Commercial plantations have been established in India, and also in Australia and South of Spain (Costa del Sol).

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 18 °C (64 °F).

Etymology and common names

The word "curry" is borrowed from the Tamil word kari (கறி, literally "blackened"), the name of the plant associated with the perceived blackness of the tree's leaves. 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. It was formerly known as Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng., which was first published in Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 2: 315 in 1825. 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.

It is known by a variety of names in the Indian subcontinent and South Asia itself. Some of its alternative names are:

• Hindi: करी/करीयापत्ता का पेड़ (kari/kariyāpattā ka peṛ)
• Punjabi: ਕਡੀ/ਕੜੀ ਪੱਤੀ ਦਾ ਰੁਖ (kaḍi/kaṛi patti dā rukh)
• Gujarati: મીઠો લીંબડો નુ બૃક્ષ/ઝાડ (miṭho limbḍo nu bruksh/jhāḍ)
• Marathi: कढीपानाचे/कढीलिंबाचे झाड (kaḍhīpānache /kaḍhīlimbāche jhāḍ)
• Bengali: করীফুুলীর/কারীপাতার গাছ (kariphulir /kāripātār gāchh)
• Odia: ଭୃଷଙ୍ଗର/ଭୃଷମର ଗଛ (bhrusungara/bhrusamara gachha)
• Assamese: নৰসিংহৰ গাছ (narahingor gās)
• Nepali: करीपात को रूख (karipāt ko rūkh)
• Meitei: ꯀꯔꯤ ꯄꯥꯝꯕꯤ (kari pambi)
• Kannada: ಕರಿಬೇವಿನ ಮರ (karivēvina mara)
• Tamil: கறிவேப்பிலை மரம் (karivēppilai maram)
• Telugu: కరివేపాకు చెట్టు (karivēpāku cheṭṭu)
• Malayalam: കറിവേപ്പ് (karivēppu)
• Tulu: ಬೇವುಡಿರೇ ಮರ (bēvudirae mara)
• Sinhala: කරපිංච ගස (karapincha gasa)
• Burmese:ဟင်းရွက်သစ်ပင် (hainnrwat saitpain)

Uses

Culinary

Curry leaves have a "mild, aromatic, slightly bitter" flavor. 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. In Cambodia, curry leaves (Khmer: ស្លឹកកន្ទ្រោប, slœ̆k kontroap) are roasted and used as an ingredient for samlor machu kroeung. In Java, the leaves are often stewed to flavor gulai. Though available dried, the aroma and flavor are greatly inferior. In almost all cases, the leaves will be freshly plucked from a garden only a few hours or even minutes before they are used. The oil can be extracted and used to make scented soaps.

The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as a herb in Ayurvedic and Siddha medicine in which they are believed to possess anti-disease properties, 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. In the Indian subcontinent, the plant is a fixture in almost every household. It is mainly planted privately, but also cultivated commercially to a small extent. Because the leaves must be fresh upon use, it is often traded through a small neighborhood or city wide network of farmers, who regularly supply fresh leaves to stall vendors.

Chemical constituents

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.

Nutritionally, the leaves are a rich source of carotenoids, beta-carotene, calcium and iron.

External links

• Media related to Murraya koenigii at Wikimedia Commons