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Fruits · Fresh fruit

Bael fruit

Hard-shelled Indian fruit with fragrant orange pulp, scooped out for bael sharbat and sweet preserves.

Also called: bael, bel, bel fruit, bengal quince, bilva, bela, golden apple

1 recipe with it

What it is

The fruit of the bael tree, round and about the size of a large grapefruit, with a woody grey-green to yellow shell that must be cracked open. Inside is sticky, aromatic orange pulp full of seeds and fibrous strands. It is also called bel, Bengal quince or bilva, and is distinct from wood apple (Limonia), which has a similar hard shell but brown, sourer pulp.

Aegle marmelos

How it’s used

  • Mashed with water, strained and sweetened for bael sharbat
  • Cooked with sugar into murabba or jam
  • Eaten fresh with a spoon when fully ripe
  • Dried slices for infusions

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet, slightly tart and resinous, with notes of marmalade and tamarind.
Aroma
Strong, perfumed and citrusy.
Texture
Thick, sticky and fibrous, with slimy seed sacs.
Appearance
Hard round shell; bright orange to yellow pulp when ripe.
Sold as
fresh, dried
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw

Storage

At room temperature. Keep at room temperature until the shell yellows and smells fragrant, then use; refrigerate opened pulp, covered, and use within a couple of days.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Crack the shell with a heavy mallet or the back of a cleaver on a stable board; it is very hard.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
127 kcal
Protein
0.8 g
Carbohydrate
33.5 g
Fat
0.4 g
Fibre
— g
Sugars
— g

USDA FoodData Central: Persimmons, native, raw (a close stand-in).

Related ingredients

Recipes with bael fruit

  • Bela pana

    Indian · 35 min · 158 kcal · Vegetarian

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