Urava Plants is a commercial evergreen tree in mangrove regions like the South African mangroves, Northern Australia, and East Africa. Several species of Urava fruits find in Indian mangroves.
Urava fruit is one of the fruit, names that begin with the letter U and is also known as Stone Fruit.
I bet you can’t find as much detailed information about Urava Fruits as here. Like Urava is the world’s number 6th Mangrove species.
Today’s article is, all about the Urava Fruit’s origin, why it is so famous, its benefits, and seven unknown facts.
See At A Glance
A Quick Table for Sonneratia Alba
| Name | Urava Fruits |
| Origin | Africa, Maldives, Indonesia, so on |
| Edible | Yes |
| Taste | Sweet- Bitter |
| Species | Sonneratia Alba & Sonneratia caseolaris |
| English Name | Mangrove Apple |
| Other Names | Pedada, Pidada, Dhivehi, etc. |
| How to eat | Raw or cook form |
Introduction of – URAVA FRUIT
Family
Urava fruits belong to the Lythraceae family, a large plants class. Urava species of Sonneratia Genus, which represents the Mangrove tree.
Description
The flower of Urava fruit is White string petals and has pink to purple central. A mild night-blooming fragrance.
The Urava fruit is a medium-sized fruit which color is green and carries more than 100 to 150 white, bright, and tiny seeds.
Green, chewy fruit with a star-shaped core, flattened, and springy seeds in each packet.
Urava trees are so important for the mangrove ecosystem- these trees are evergreen hold the coastal bunk.
Popular Names of Urava Fruit
The Bionominal name of Urava Fruit is – Sonneratia Alba. The Alba comes from a Latin word that means White.
Urava fruit also names – Mangrove Apple, Sonneratis Alba, Pedada, and Pidada.
Sonneratia Alba English Name is Mangrove Apple.
Sonneratia Alba common names – Mpira, Apfel-mangrove,mlilana, swahili etc.
In Malaysia is Perepat.
In Chinese, Urava fruit is known as Sonneratia cupica.
In the Maldives, Urava is notorious as Dhivehi, Kuhlhavah.
The Urava fruit is titled Kirala gédi in Sinhala in Sri Lanka.
Variation of Urava Fruits
However, 99 % of Urava trees grow surrounding Mangrove areas of East Africa, Australia, India, few in Philipines, Maldives, and this type of Archipelagoes but widely popular throughout the world.
There are Two spices of Urava Fruits that are truly known- Sonneratia Alba and Sonneratia caseolaris.
Sonneratia Alba is much taller and more extended than Caseolaris class. The tree’s height is about 15 meters to 40 meters tall and broad as 50 to 70 cm.
Origin of Urava Fruit
Urava-Sonneratia caseolaris typically grows in Maldives, Hainan, Indonesia, East Australia, Africa, and Northeast Australia.
Urava-Sonneratia Alba naturally shows India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, a Japanese island, the Western Pacific seashore, Malaysia, and Australia.
Use of Urava Fruits
Not only the fruit, in fact, all tree usable for local and abroad people.
The wood of the tree is used to make a variation of household items such as kitchen utensils, cabinets, and so on.
Even the wood also use to build houses, boats, bridges, and columns.
The leaves are using for shades, making ornaments, plates, etc.
Sonneratia Alba and leaves are edible. The local people like Philipines make some refreshing Urava drinks or vegetable curry.
Urava fruit can eat in raw and salad form. Sonneratia Alba is sour fruit sometimes refer to as marinated fish.
Even Sonneratia Alba Medicinal use- as traditional healers for
- Anti-inflammatory activity,
- Use in antifungal,
- Antimicrobial remedy. (Source)
- Some people believe that the leaves of Urava fruit are a good remedy for Diabetes.
The ripe Urava fruit is tastes like cheese as per Javanese, African- local people.
Urava fruit and leaves are often used to consider vegetable curry in India.
In the Maldives, Sonneratia Alba mixes with coconut milk, coconut flesh, and sugar to create a refreshing beverage.
Urava tree’s part applies to make the fishnet.
Sonneratia Alba is often recommended as a treatment for swellings and bruises.
Antioxidant qualities can derive from the leaflets, stem, and peel.
Urava Sepal has an impressive quality of antioxidant, which helps to skin enhancement, beauty.
Urava is broadly applied for fuel and building. It is frequently a wooden palisade to make ribs for boats, housing furnishings including floors, overpasses, and piers.
Sonneratia Alba is great to attract insect-like fireflies, and in the dark, it glows like a bright star.
Cultivation
Urava does not need to cultivate separately, it is a naturally tropical coastal tree. Urava is widely grown in the seashore, low to medium tidal- Muddy regions.
The tree is very much vital for the mangrove ecosystem. The Urava trees can endure a 6.3 to 7.4 PH scale.
FAQs related to Sonneratia Alba
Q1. Is mangrove fruit edible?
White Mangrove fruits are not yet edible.
Although there are some mangroves present, you may try them once, like Urava, Mangrove Apple, Red Mangrove, Aratus Dines, Black Mangroves, Avicennia germinans, etc.
Q2. Is Sonneratia Alba Edible?
Yes. Sonneratia alba is an edible fruit. It is widely named Mangrove Apple and Urava Fruit.
The local people like Coastal area Africa, Maldives, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia take as a refreshment drink.
They mix Sonneratia Alba with Coconut flesh, Coconut Milk, and sugar and serve in a traditional way.
Q3. Do mangrove trees have fruit?
Yes, Most Mangrove trees have fruit but- not are edible like the White Mangroves.
Red and Black Mangroves fruits have been consumed in a versatile way like Sonneratia Alba.
Q4. Is sonneratia a mangrove?
Yes, Sonneratia is a mangrove tree whose English name is Mangrove Apple.
Sonneratia is extensively grown in the East coast area of Africa, Indonesia, Southeast china, Singapore, a Japanese island, Malaysia, Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, etc.
Q5. What do mangrove apples taste like?
Mangrove apples taste sweet and slightly bitter aftertaste.