Bael fruit

Bael fruit comes from Aegle marmelos, a rutaceous tree native to India, producing thick-shelled fruits with citrus-like pulp. The fruits carry good vitamin C with a slight astringency, and are eaten fresh or made into juices, sherbets and jams. Fresh fruits have a yellow pulp that turns reddish-brown when dried. Ayurveda prizes them for medicinal properties, especially as a traditional remedy for dysentery and digestive complaints, bael bridges food and medicine in South Asian culture. Also known as Bengal quinces or Indian quinces, the hard shell protects the aromatic pulp inside, and processors must crack it carefully to recover the pulp without woody contamination.