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Hello, I am Bilimbi
Let’s see if this little introduction in Konkani makes sense:
Haanv Bilimbi jhaad asa. हांव बिलिम्बी झाड आसा.
Mhojem fov khub amso asa! म्होजें फोव खूब आमसो आसा!
Haanv koso asa? हांव कसो आसा?
My botanical name is Averrhoa bilimbi.
The name Averrhoa bilimbi has a two-part origin, one honouring a person and the other reflecting a local, traditional name.
Let’s start with Averrhoa — the genus name
This part is Latinised from a person’s name. Averrhoa is named after Abū al-Walīd Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Rushd (1126–1198), better known in the West as Averroes. He was an Andalusian philosopher, physician, and scientist whose works influenced medieval European science and thought.
In medieval times, Andalusia was known as Al-Andalus, a Muslim-ruled territory (8th–15th centuries), it included most of present-day Southern Spain.
Carl Linnaeus, who named many plant genera, often honored famous scholars— even if they weren’t botanists — by Latinising their names.
Now we come to the species name: bilimbi
This comes directly from a vernacular name. “Bilimbi” is derived from Malay / Indonesian languages, where the fruit is traditionally called belimbing or belimbing buluh. European botanists adopted the local name and slightly modified it into Latin botanical form.
I am sometimes also called bimblam in Konkani. Further down south, cousins call me irumban puli, or simply that ‘terribly sour fruit’. Yes, yes… I’ve made many a tongue curl in surprise—consider yourself warned.
My Story
Look closely at me. I’m a small to medium-sized tropical tree, not trying too hard to impress with height. My leaves are soft, feathery, and a little shy — very different from my flashy cousin, the starfruit (Averrhoa carambola). Unlike him, I don’t do stars. I do straight, green, cucumber-shaped fruit that hang directly from my trunk and branches.
Now here’s my party trick: I practice cauliflory — which means my flowers and fruits pop straight out of my bark. Nature’s way of saying, “Why follow rules?” My tiny reddish-purple flowers may look delicate, but don’t underestimate me — I mean business.
And business, for me, is sour. Intensely so. I’m packed with oxalic acid and vitamin C. Humans don’t usually eat me raw unless they’re feeling very brave or have something to prove. Instead, I shine in pickles, curries, chutneys, fish dishes, and Goan kitchens — where sourness is celebrated as an important touch in many a dishes.
Medicinally speaking, people have used me traditionally for coughs, skin issues, and digestion. Some even say I’m good for polishing brass—talk about multitasking!
I love warm, humid coastal climates, which is why Goa and suits me just fine, thank you. Give me sun, a bit of water, and I’ll happily produce fruit almost all year, whether you’re ready for it or not.
So the next time life feels a bit too sweet, remember me.
I’m Bilimbi — here to add a little tang, a little twist, and a lot of character to this walk.
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