CINNAMOMUM TAMALA (Tejpat)

Description

General Information
Cinnamomum Tamala known as tejpat / leaves
in trade, found in Himalayan region, is a
promising medicinal plant species.
Name: Cinnamon Leaves
Scientific Name: Cinnamomum Tamala
Nepali Name: Tejpat
SPICE
DETAILS
The leaves, known as tejpat in Nepali, are used
extensively in the cuisines of India, Nepal, and
Bhutan, particularly in the Moghul cuisine of North India and Nepal.
Tejpat leaves are long and wide. They are usually olive green in color,
may have some brownish spots and have three veins down the length
of the leaf. True tejpat leaves impart a strong cassia- or cinnamon-like
aroma to dishes. Nepalese Grocery stores carry true tejpat leaves.
Cinnamomum Tamala is an evergreen tree growing 10 – 20 meters tall.
The bole can be 20cm in diameter.
USES
The bark is used as a spice like the true cinnamon and is commonly
added to the bark of that species as an adulterant.
The aromatic leaves are dried and used as a flavoring, known as ‘tejpat’,
in various Indian dishes
The dried leaves are often fried first, to release a strong, woodsy flavor
The leaves are sometimes used as a substitute for betel leaves in the
masticatory preparation ‘paan’.
The dried bark is used to treat stomach-ache
The leaves are used in the treatment of colic and diarrhoea
Leaf extracts produce a hypoglycemic effect in experimental rats.