TRAGACANTH GUM, GOND KATIRA, ASTRALAGUS GUMMIFER LABILL
Tragacanth gum comes from a thorny shrub which is native to western Asia, Iraq, Iran and the Middle East. It is a tree gum like myrrh, frankincense and balm of Gilead, and can be used, along with the stems of the plant as incense. It comes from a number of Astragalus species, but the one which produces the best quality gum is Astragalus gummifer or gummifera. The gum exudes naturally from the roots of the plant and from incisions made in the stem.
This is collected and when dried forms crystals of flakes or may be formed into blocks. The plant is a member of the pea family of plants, Fabaceae, and produces pods like other members of the Leguminoseae family such as carob trees.
The shrub is pollinated by bees and butterflies and is a useful nitrogen-fixing plant. You may think you have never eaten gum Tragacanth, but the odds are that you have as it is a food additive known in the food industry as E 413. It is used as a thickening agent in sauces, ice cream and confectionary, and is also used in the cosmetics industry. It helps bind other ingredients together. It is also used in the textile industry to thicken dyes for fabric, to make glue, for water colours and to produce the gloss in ink, among other uses including the manufacture of paper.
Externally the gum has been used in traditional medicine for dressing burns, and it is now believed that it might have anti-tumour properties, and could stimulate the immune system. Here in Pakistan it is sold for use in cooling drinks, in crystal form, so to me it looks like mastica, another tree product. It is also said to help if you are constipated.
You have to soak a very small piece of the gum in a glass of water and it will swell and turn to a jelly-like substance which is transparent, so that the glass looks as though it is full of chunks of ice. Leave it to soak until it is very swollen (a couple of hours seems to do the trick) and then drink it with water, ice and lemon juice.
This drink is as good as those which include tukh malanga (basil seeds) or sugar cane juice for cooling the body temperature in the heat of summer.
Gond Katira Drink
1 small piece of gond katira, or Tragacanth gum, soaked in water overnight
1 tbsp juice of fresh lemon, optional
1 glass water
1 tbsp sugar
ice
Method
When the crystals have swollen and turned gelatinous take one or two small fragments and mix in cold water with the sugar and lemon juice if using and add ice.
Drink while cool.
This has Taste and is a Treat.
gr8 information thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...very informative
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your post. I do have a cooking tip to share. When cooking meat of any kind if one prepares a meat masala with onion ginger garlic and spices at the start then holding the tomatoes (whether whole or pureed) back instead of adding them after the spices allows the meat to cook to a more tender consistency. Simply add the tomatoes when the meat has been nearly cooked.
ReplyDeletenice artcle
ReplyDeleteIs Gond Katira weight and fat increasing herb because now a days I am taking foods weight reducing, thanks
ReplyDeleteIf you drink it in milk, then this will be added calories and yes, you might put on weight. However if you take it in lemon juice, then obviously this will mean less calorie consumption.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that.Why not re-post this comment on our tomatoes post? We can't move comments.
ReplyDeleteHi Can it be effective in acid reflux problems or hav sperm in urine a
DeleteGlad you all liked this article.Thank you for your feedback.
ReplyDeleteis it good for pregnant women?
ReplyDelete"No significant toxic or teratogenic effects were produced by oral administration of Tragacanth Gum to pregnant mice." This is the final report on the safety of gum Tragacanth. However there is little evidence to support its use in pregnancy. use it in moderation and you should be OK.
DeleteCan it swell in sugary water?
ReplyDeleteYes, and you can use it in milk or fruit juice, as it will take on the flavour of the liquid. However as it is a gum and has some impurities, we recommend soaking it in water first and then removing the "dust" and then putting it into another liquid to continue swelling.
ReplyDeleteSo for how much time i soak it in water to remove impurities nd then in desised liquid?
ReplyDeleteHalf an hour is enough for the removal of impurities and then put it in another liquid and whisk it in and drink it. If you want to you can soak it in the other liquid for 5-10 minutes.
ReplyDeleteCrush it into smaller pieces before the initial soaking.
Very very useful information
ReplyDeleteits good for liver to i hard
ReplyDeletecan i mix this gum with sugar and corn syrup to make a pliable dough which can be used to decorate cakes?
ReplyDeleteWe don't think this would work as you would have a sticky mess on the cake.
DeleteIt is used in "fondant" or "sugar paste", which is what Anonymous was likely referring to. I makes it moldable when wet, and hard/supportive when dry.
DeleteMost people (bakers, bloggers) will usually refer to it as tragacanth gum in this respect instead of katira though.
is this good for backache?
ReplyDeletedoes it help in breast development of females?
ReplyDeleteIt is helpfull if taken every morning
DeleteProbably not. Try exercises.
ReplyDeletedoes it help with fertility problems!
ReplyDeleteNo why would ıt? It ıs used as a food addıtıve.
ReplyDeleteis this the same katira that can be used as a hair gel?
ReplyDeletealso good for healing skin infection ...apply the gelatinous form on the infected area and cover with cotton overnight, everyday for one week.
ReplyDeleteKond katira is very good to take in hot summer days. Best is to grind it with hand and souk this poweder in water overnight. When you want to suse it, you can add sugar and milk and can add any syrup such as ROh Afza or Jame Shireen. it is best drink for thirsty throats.
ReplyDeleteSarfraz, Rawalpindi
Is gond katira helpful in piles and constipation
ReplyDeletewill you Please tell is gond katria is gud for men ?
ReplyDeletei mean if we are suffering in any type of sexual weakness deises ?
Thanks for the information. My mother used to give us when we were children 50 years ago. Today I brought it for my child. I will be trying first time so looked in google to find out how to use it. Tuk Malanga is another thing I wanted but could not get it anywhere near my house in Delhi.
ReplyDeletePlease advise as to how it is good for body- in what sense apart from tasty drinks.Does it have any side effects?
ReplyDeletes k mittal
Is it true that katira causes impotency, because asaram sevadar blame on him
ReplyDeleteIt can cause impotency in Male..
ReplyDeletewho told you that ? it helps in fertility !
Deleteis it useful for all muscles repairing???
ReplyDeleteis it helpful in repairing muscles?
ReplyDeleteis it good for knee pain?
ReplyDeleteI heard mixing tuk malanga and gond katira together will help my scortum to cool as I have very big problem of leaking I cant confirm it but it happens in any kind of sexual desire so pls reply will it be help me to cool down as I did all the test for spermohtorreah pls reaply
ReplyDeleteI heard mixing tuk malanga and gond katira together will help my scortum to cool as I have very big problem of leaking I cant confirm it but it happens in any kind of sexual desire so pls reply will it be help me to cool down as I did all the test for spermohtorreah pls reaply
ReplyDeleteI have heard from someone that this herb is best to reduce the sexual desire for men? it keeps u cool and make serum/sperm thick?please tell me in detail??????
ReplyDeletemen can have this....
ReplyDeleteIn which stores we can find this gond Katira in Andhra Pradesh
ReplyDeleteTuk Malanga is tulsi seed which you can get easily from shop or tulsi plant.
ReplyDeleteCan i give this to my son (2years)
ReplyDeletesir can u tell me is good for faty liver plz Thks
ReplyDeleteIs it create importency in male
ReplyDeletehey panky ! i did not read anything like this? have u any link of regarding that it can cause impotency in Male in male?
ReplyDeleteis it helpful in constipation??? does it have any side effects like acne or any other.. please reply
ReplyDeleteIS GOND KATIRA GOOD FOR REBUILDING BONES AFTER LEG FRACTURE SURGERY FOR MEN, PLEASE E-MAIL AT:
ReplyDeleteminaaunty@hotmail.com. God bless you for an honest response.
Do you have material safety data sheet for tragacanth gum (msds).
ReplyDeletekiya yeh acidity aur uric acid mein be kam kare ga keh nahi.
ReplyDeleteDoes help in acidity
ReplyDeletedoes it help to unblock the fallopian tubes??
ReplyDeleteIs it helpful to lose weight
ReplyDeletei hv develped hcv .is it helpful for me.
ReplyDeleteCan this be taken by a person whose sugar levels are around 140 plus
ReplyDeleteCan Gond Katira help to stop nosebleeds?
ReplyDeleteis it good for preventing blood from nose during winter, if it is mixed in milk and consumed after soaking overnight
ReplyDeleteHey i did put in water but instead of getting swell it mix in water and become lyk honey wats wrong ........
ReplyDeleteDoes it help in constipation?
ReplyDeleteJoro k darad ma use kr skty han?
ReplyDeleteCan it be given to a patient suffering from pneumonia
ReplyDeleteCan it be given to a patient suffering from pneumonia
ReplyDeleteCan we gond katira to 1.5yr old baby in summers. He is having loose motions. Plz help asap
ReplyDeleteCan you please provide the calorie information of Gond Katira ? is its intake provide extra fat etc....
ReplyDeleteis this the same katira that can be used as a hair gel?
ReplyDeletehi does this medcinal herb help mail function sopurtand heart deciese & diybect kindly sugest thank you
ReplyDeleteCan you please tell me what are benefits specially for men in gond katira
ReplyDeleteIt's consumption elongates the size.
ReplyDeletehello , i want to ask Is gond katira Good for sexual power in men or not ? because one of my friend use it regularly he is suffering from sexual weakness but still he does not feel good.
ReplyDeleteIs it safe to have it after soaking it overnight? Some sites say it can block the intestines and has selenium in high amount sometimes . But I guess blocking the intestine would be with un soaked ones , just a guess.
ReplyDeleteI heard that it is useful for gas and acidity..is it true?
ReplyDeleteI heard that it is useful for gas and acidity..is it true?
ReplyDeleteDoes it help the hair to grow longer?
ReplyDeleteDiabetic patient can take gond katira?and can it be taken by people having high thyroid levels?
ReplyDeleteIs it ok for diabetic patient?
ReplyDeleteFOR KNEE PAIN ETC :TAKE ONE PC OF KATIRA GUM SOAK IT IN WATER OVER NIGHT . IN A CUP OF MILK PUT TWO BADAM TWO PISTA HALF WALNUT AND ONE DRY KHAJUR AND POWDER IT . PUT THIS POWDER IN BOILING HOT WATER AND FILTERED KATIRA GUM AND HAVE THIS MIXTURE IN THE MORNING FASTING. THIS MIXTURE IS BEST FOR KNEE PAIN. WITHIN FIVE DAYS YOU WILL BE BLESSED WITH KNEE PAIN.
ReplyDeleteCan we soak it in larger amount and preserve it for later use?
ReplyDeleteCan we soak it in larger amount and preserve it for later use?
ReplyDeleteit is helpful to ur wifwe when she want to take revenge on you,,,it leads man to impotence by blocking sperms and mission bandh ho jatha
ReplyDeletegond katira in sanskrit, is gand ka kaam kum karna
ReplyDeleteConsuming it with milk can cause weight gain???
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Is gone katira taste khatta?
ReplyDeleteHow can I use to make energy bars as thikening agent