Panaji: Tirfoll or tepllam, a key spice in Goa’s culinary heritage that grows wild in green and forested areas, faces a serious threat as harvesters increasingly axe entire trees to collect the produce due to a shortage of climbers.In recent years, the lack of pluckers has led to coconuts drying up on trees and jackfruits rotting during the season. However, tirfoll, Indian prickly ash (zanthoxylum rhetsa), valued for its use in bangddeanchi koddi (mackerel curry) and other dishes, has been affected more severely. “Harvesters are cutting the tree itself to gather the produce as they cannot find climbers,” said agriculture director Sandeep Fol Dessai.
The trees, which propagate naturally, grow to a height of 10 to 20 metres and are found mainly in Western Ghat talukas from Sattari to Canacona, as well as in other forested regions. Concerns have been raised about depletion of the tree population due to destructive harvesting, though no formal survey has been conducted so far.The species is also found in neighbouring states. Its fruits are used as a spice, either sun-dried or whole. “After drying, they last for almost a year,” Fol Dessai said.Tepllam are used as bullets to fire the fotash, a locally made toy gun to playfully shoot at others. The bullet can be slightly painful and leave a tingling sensation on the skin.Also known as Sichuan pepper, tirfoll contains several bioactive compounds. “The wide range of chemical compounds includes terpenoids, alkaloids, lignans, and phenolic compounds,” said A P Reddy, senior scientist (horticulture), ICAR-CCARI, Old Goa. Compounds such as sabinene, terpinene-4-ol and limonene impart a citrus-like flavour to food, he added.Reddy said the spice has medicinal value and is used by the pharmaceutical sector. “It has diverse medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and analgesic effects.”In local cuisine, especially curries, the use of tirfoll counteracts effects of flatulence caused by mackerel consumption. From fish caldine to veg dishes, its use enriches the flavour of the preparations.Marketed products include remedies for skin disorders, laxatives and eyesight improvement.Though the trees are distributed across the Western and Eastern Ghats and northeast India, Reddy cautioned that dependence on wild sources is unsustainable. “Anthropogenic and development activities are a threat to its future and there is a need and also scope for cultivation,” he said.Raising the issue at a recent ICAR-CCARI and Spices Board conference in Old Goa, Fol Dessai said, “It is an important part of our culinary traditions and farmers should help in conserving tirfoll trees.”
