Ice Apple in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu: Names, Benefits and a Smoothie
If you grew up in South India, you know the ice apple vendor. He sits by the road and slices open dark brown fruits. Inside is a clear, soft jelly. It looks like it is made of water and sweetness.
If you grew up in North India, you may not know ice apple at all. That is a shame. This seasonal fruit is a lovely, light food for Indian summers.
This article covers what ice apple is and what it is called in each Indian language. It also covers its nutrition, 8 health benefits (with evidence levels marked), where to find it, how to eat it, and a coconut jaggery smoothie.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for information only. It is not medical advice. Consult your doctor for dietary changes, especially if you have diabetes.
What Is Ice Apple?
Ice apple has a different name in each Indian language. Ask with the local name, and the vendor will know what you mean. This table gives each name in its own script and how to say it. The last column gives the name in India's food tables (IFCT 2017), where one is listed.
| Language | Name in its script | Say it as | Name in IFCT 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil | நுங்கு | nungu | Panai nungu |
| Malayalam | പനനൊങ്ക് or പനനങ്ക് | pananonku or pananank | Panamnungu |
| Telugu | తాటి ముంజలు | taati munjalu | Thati munjalu |
| Bengali | তাল, তালশাঁস | taal (the palm and its fruit), taalshaans (the soft jelly) | not listed |
| Kannada | ತಾಳೆ ಹಣ್ಣು | taale hannu (palm fruit) | Thati mangu |
| Marathi | ताडगोळा | tadgola | not listed |
| Hindi | ताड़ | taad (the name of the palm) | Tar |
| Odia | Tala Saja | ||
| Gujarati | We could not check a Gujarati name in a reliable source. | not listed | |
| English | ice apple, palmyra fruit, toddy palm fruit | Palm fruit, tender |
Names in script come from the Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Marathi and Hindi Wikipedia pages for this palm. IFCT names come from the name index of the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. All links are in the References at the end.
Ice Fruit Meaning: Is Ice Fruit the Same as Ice Apple?
"Ice fruit" is not a formal name. When people say ice fruit for the clear, jelly-like palm fruit, they mean ice apple. That is the tender fruit of the palmyra palm. The Hindu explained the name in 2002: "The British named the Palmyrah fruit ice-apple. The tender fruit resembles ice."
In Telugu, the ice fruit or ice apple is taati munjalu (తాటి ముంజలు). The palm itself is taati (తాటి). In Tamil, it is nungu (நுங்கு), and the palm is panai (பனை).
What Does Ice Apple Mean in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali and Kannada?
Ice apple in Tamil is nungu. Ice apple in Malayalam is pananonku, also written pananank. Ice apple in Telugu is taati munjalu. In Bengali, the palm and its fruit are taal, and the soft jelly is taalshaans. In Kannada, the fruit is taale hannu. In Marathi, it is tadgola.
The Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 also give a name list for each food. For ice apple (code E048) it lists: Tamil — Panai nungu, Telugu — Thati munjalu, Kannada — Thati mangu, Malayalam — Panamnungu, Odia — Tala Saja and Hindi — Tar.
Some of these differ from the names you hear in the market. IFCT's Kannada name is Thati mangu. Kannada Wikipedia calls the fruit taale hannu. IFCT's Malayalam name is Panamnungu. Malayalam Wikipedia calls it pananonku. IFCT's Hindi name is simply Tar. In Hindi, the palm is taad (ताड़). In Marathi, the fruit is tadgola. A food table name and a market name are not always the same. So ask with the market name. Use the IFCT name when you need the science record. IFCT does not list a Bengali name for E048. In Bengali, the fruit is taal.
The fruit grows on female palmyra palms. These palms can grow 20 to 30 metres tall (Wikipedia). Each fruit is about 15 to 20 cm wide and weighs 1.5 to 2.5 kg. It holds 1 to 3 seeds. The part you eat is the clear, jelly-like seed inside the young fruit. It is sweet, cool and slippery. The Hindu notes that a cut fruit shows "three sockets inside, sometimes two but rarely one". It looks a bit like lychee flesh but tastes milder.
In Tamil Nadu, the palmyra palm is famous because every part of it has a use. A classical Tamil poem, Tala Vilasam, lists 801 things made from the tree (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University). The tree is a big part of South Indian food and tradition.
Ice Apple Nutrition (Per 100g)
| Per 100 g | Ice apple (IFCT E048) | Watermelon (IFCT E066) | Coconut water (IFCT K002) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 101 kJ (24 kcal) | 70 kJ (17 kcal) | 64 kJ (15 kcal) |
| Water | 91.93 g | 95.33 g | 95.77 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 4.92 g | 3.02 g | 3.16 g |
| Total free sugars | 1.03 g | 3.00 g | 3.06 g |
| Protein | 0.50 g | 0.59 g | 0.26 g |
| Fat | 0.12 g | 0.16 g | 0.16 g |
| Total dietary fibre | 2.40 g | 0.78 g | not reported |
| Potassium | 158 mg | 126 mg | 215 mg |
| Vitamin C | 0.25 mg | 11.45 mg | 0.64 mg |
| Glycemic index | no published value | no IFCT value | no IFCT value |
All figures come from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition). We used Table 1 (main nutrients and fibre), the minerals table and the water-soluble vitamins table. Ice apple is IFCT code E048, “Palm fruit, tender (Borassus flabellifer)”. One caveat: the E048 figures come from one region only. So IFCT gives no ± range for them. The watermelon and coconut water rows are averages from 6 regions.
Key takeaway: Ice apple is almost as watery as watermelon. It has a little more potassium (158 mg vs 126 mg per 100 g) and about a third of the sugars. Its glycemic index is not known. For more on watermelon, read our watermelon juice benefits guide.
8 Benefits of Ice Apple
1. Extreme Hydration PROVEN
Ice apple is 91.93 g water per 100 g (IFCT 2017, E048). Eating one is close to drinking lightly sweet water. It also gives 158 mg of potassium and 2.40 g of fibre per 100 g. Plain water has neither. Its vitamin C is very low at 0.25 mg per 100 g. Orange pulp has 42.72 mg (IFCT E047). Ice apple is a pleasant way to take in fluid in the heat. It is not a treatment for dehydration.
2. Natural Cooling TRADITIONAL
Ice apple is eaten as a cooling food in South India. Any cooling comes from its water and from eating it cold. Drinking enough fluid helps your body handle heat. We found no study showing that ice apple cools the body in any other way.
3. Electrolyte Replacement PROVEN
Ice apple has 158 mg of potassium per 100 g (IFCT 2017, E048). It has only 1.25 mg of sodium. Potassium helps your body balance sodium. Sweat loses mostly sodium, and ice apple has very little sodium. So it is a light snack in the heat, not a full replacement for lost salts.
4. Low Calorie Summer Snack PROVEN
Ice apple has 101 kJ (24 kcal) per 100 g. That is one of the lowest in the Indian food tables. It is mostly water, so a bowl feels filling. Its free sugars are low at 1.03 g per 100 g. Watermelon has 3.00 g (IFCT 2017, codes E048 and E066).
5. Low Sugar Load — What It Means for Diabetes NOT TESTED IN PEOPLE
Here is the honest position. No glycemic index has been published for the ice apple fruit. A PubMed search on 22 October 2026 found none. What the fruit does have is a low carbohydrate load: 4.92 g of available carbohydrate and 1.03 g of free sugars per 100 g (IFCT 2017, E048).
The research on Borassus flabellifer and blood sugar is all in rats. One study used the male flowers in sucrose-loaded rats (PMID 17268107). Another used an alcohol extract of the root (PMID 23811441). A 2026 study did test an extract of the young endosperm, the jelly part, in diabetic rats. Its authors say the results "should be regarded as hypothesis-generating" (PMID 42356318). An extract is not the same as eating the fruit. We found no human trial of ice apple in people with diabetes.
Important: People with diabetes should keep portions small. There is no official limit. We suggest starting with 2 to 3 ice apples and asking your doctor. Check your blood sugar 2 hours after eating to see your own response. For a full meal plan, read our diabetes diet plan for India.
6. Good for Digestion SUPPORTED
Ice apple has 2.40 g of total dietary fibre per 100 g (IFCT 2017, E048). That is three times watermelon's 0.78 g. Fibre and water help regular bowel movements. Many families also eat it to settle the stomach in the heat. That use is traditional. We found no study on ice apple and acidity.
7. Good for Skin TRADITIONAL
This one needs a correction. IFCT 2017 measures ice apple's vitamin C at 0.25 mg per 100 g. Vitamin E is 0.02 mg. Total carotenoids (which the body can turn into vitamin A) are 50 micrograms. Vitamin K1 is 3.60 micrograms. So ice apple is not a real source of any of these vitamins. In folk medicine, the fruit is used for skin rashes (dermatitis), and the sap for skin ulcers (Wikipedia, citing Lim 2012).
Honest note: These are largely traditional claims. There are no large clinical trials on ice apple for skin health.
8. Safe During Pregnancy TRADITIONAL
Ice apple is traditionally eaten during pregnancy in South India. It gives fluid and a little potassium. We found no studies of ice apple in pregnancy, so there is no proof either way. Fresh fruit that is cut in clean conditions is the safer choice. For pregnancy drinks, see our pregnancy smoothie guide.
As always, maintain reasonable portions and consult your doctor.
Where to Buy Ice Apple in India
- Season: Summer. The exact months change by region. The Hindu notes that in May, palmyra fruits are "a common sight" in Tamil Nadu.
- Where: Roadside fruit vendors, seasonal fruit markets, local mandis. More common in South India (Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad) than North India.
- Supermarkets: Rarely stocked in our experience. Ask your local fruit vendor by the regional name.
- Online: Fresh ice apple is hard to deliver because it spoils fast. Preserved nungu does exist. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University lists it as a palm product sold in the market.
- Price: Prices change a lot by city and season. Ask the vendor for the price per piece.
Tip: Buy whole, undamaged fruits with intact outer skin. The darker the outer shell, the riper the fruit. If the jelly inside is slightly yellow or sticky, it is past its best.
How to Eat Ice Apple (3 Ways)
1. Fresh — The Classic Way
Peel away the thin outer skin. Scoop out the clear jelly. Eat it as it is. This is the most common way to eat ice apple. No cooking is needed.
2. In Fruit Salads
Chop ice apple into cubes. Mix with mango, watermelon, pomegranate, and a squeeze of lime. Add a pinch of chaat masala if you like. This makes a hydrating summer fruit salad with different textures.
3. Ice Apple Coconut Jaggery Smoothie (Recipe Below)
Ice apple goes well with coconut. The Hindu suggests dropping the jelly into tender coconut water and chilling it for 15 to 20 minutes. Our smoothie uses coconut milk and jaggery instead. It takes about 30 seconds in a portable blender. The full recipe is in the next section.
Ice Apple Coconut Jaggery Smoothie Recipe
This smoothie mixes three South Indian staples: ice apple, coconut and jaggery. Ice apple gives water and a soft texture. Coconut milk makes it creamy. Jaggery adds sweetness. For more on gur, read our jaggery benefits guide.
Ingredients
- 3-4 ice apples (about 150g flesh)
- 100 mL coconut milk (fresh or canned)
- 1 tsp jaggery powder (or palm jaggery for extra flavour)
- A pinch of cardamom powder
- 2-3 ice cubes (optional)
Method
- Scoop out the ice apple flesh. Discard the skin and any hard parts.
- Add ice apple flesh to your blender.
- Pour in the coconut milk.
- Add jaggery powder and cardamom.
- Blend for 30 seconds until smooth.
- Pour into a glass. Drink immediately for best taste.
Use a portable blender to make this anywhere: at home, at the beach or at work. Ice apple jelly is soft, so it blends easily. Want a lighter drink? Try our tender coconut shake.
Nutrition (Approximate)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | about 240 to 290 kcal (canned or fresh coconut milk) |
| Potassium | about 470 to 530 mg |
| Fat | about 20 to 24 g (almost all from coconut milk) |
| Sugars | about 6 to 9 g (jaggery, ice apple, coconut milk) |
| Refined Sugar | 0g |
How we worked this out: 150 g ice apple (IFCT E048, 24 kcal per 100 g). 100 ml coconut milk from the USDA records for canned (197 kcal and 21.3 g fat per 100 g) and fresh coconut milk (230 kcal and 23.8 g fat per 100 g). 1 tsp jaggery taken as about 5 g (IFCT I001, cane jaggery). Your numbers will change with the brand of coconut milk.
Variations
- For thickness: Add half a banana.
- For freshness: Add 4-5 fresh mint leaves.
- For tang: Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- For protein: Add 1 tbsp of soaked sabja (basil) seeds.
Blend It Anywhere with a Portable Blender
Ice apple's soft texture blends well in any of these. No kitchen needed. Prices and stock checked on our store on 22 October 2026: all five in stock, from Rs 1,999.
Ice apple and toddy are not the same thing. They come from the same tree. IFCT lists them separately. The fruit is E048, Palm fruit, tender. Toddy, the fermented sap, is K001, Toddy (Borassus flabellifer), at 93.86 g water and 101 kJ per 100 g. The fruit is not alcoholic. The sap becomes alcoholic once it ferments.
Ice Apple Storage — How Long Does It Last?
| Storage Method | Shelf Life | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature (unopened) | 1-2 days | Keep in a cool, dry place |
| Refrigerated (opened, airtight container) | 3-4 days | Best quality in first 2 days |
| Frozen | Not recommended | Not suggested at home; the soft texture may not survive |
Ice apple is 91.93 g water per 100 g (IFCT 2017, E048). This makes it spoil quickly once the shell is opened. It is also why fresh ice apple is rarely sold for home delivery.
Rule of thumb: Buy ice apples like you buy bread. Get what you need for today and tomorrow. Do not stockpile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can diabetics eat ice apple?
Yes, in small portions, but ask your doctor first. Ice apple is low in sugars (1.03 g per 100 g, IFCT 2017). Its glycemic index has never been measured. Start with 2 to 3 ice apples and check your blood sugar 2 hours later. The animal studies used extracts in rats, so they do not tell you how the fruit acts in a person.
Is ice apple safe during pregnancy?
It is traditionally eaten in pregnancy, but it has not been studied. We found no research on ice apple in pregnancy. It gives fluid and a little potassium. Eat normal portions of freshly cut fruit, and ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Can I eat ice apple at night?
Yes, but it is best enjoyed during the day when you need hydration and cooling. Eating it at night may cause some people to visit the bathroom more often due to the high water content. There is no health risk in eating it at night.
How many ice apples can I eat in a day?
There is no official limit. Our suggestion is 2 to 3 ice apples a day. If 3 to 4 ice apples give about 150 g of jelly, then 2 to 3 give about 75 to 115 g. That is only about 18 to 28 kcal (IFCT 2017: 24 kcal per 100 g). Eating a lot at once may cause bloating or loose stools for some people.
Can I get ice apple in winter?
Usually not. Fresh ice apple is a summer fruit, and it spoils in a few days. Preserved nungu is sold as a palm product (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University), but fresh fruit returns only with the next summer.
Is ice apple and toddy palm the same thing?
Yes. Ice apple comes from the toddy palm (Palmyra palm, Borassus flabellifer). "Toddy palm" refers to the tree, and "ice apple" or "nungu" or "tadgola" refers to the edible fruit. The same tree also produces palm toddy (a fermented drink), but ice apple itself is non-alcoholic.
What is ice apple called in Tamil?
In Tamil, ice apple is called nungu (நுங்கு). The IFCT 2017 food tables list it as Panai nungu. The palm tree is panai (பனை).
What is ice apple called in Malayalam?
In Malayalam, ice apple is called pananonku (പനനൊങ്ക്), also written pananank (പനനങ്ക്). The IFCT 2017 food tables list it as Panamnungu. The palm tree is karimpana (കരിമ്പന).
What does ice fruit mean?
Ice fruit is an informal name. For the clear, jelly-like palm fruit, it means ice apple: the tender fruit of the palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer). The Hindu wrote that the British named it ice apple because the tender fruit resembles ice.
What is ice fruit called in Telugu?
In Telugu, ice fruit or ice apple is called taati munjalu (తాటి ముంజలు). The palm tree is taati (తాటి). The IFCT 2017 food tables spell it Thati munjalu.
What is ice apple called in Bengali? Is taal the same as ice apple?
In Bengali, the palm and its fruit are called taal (তাল). The soft jelly inside the young fruit is called taalshaans (তালশাঁস). So yes, taal and ice apple come from the same palm.
What is nungu called in Hindi and Kannada?
In Hindi, the palm is called taad (ताड़), and the IFCT 2017 food tables list the fruit as Tar. In Kannada, the fruit is taale hannu (ತಾಳೆ ಹಣ್ಣು), and IFCT 2017 lists the tender fruit as Thati mangu. In Marathi, it is tadgola (ताडगोळा).
Related Reading
- Summer Drinks with a Portable Blender: 34 Recipes You Can Blend Anywhere (2026)
- Sugarcane Juice Benefits: Why India's Favourite Summer Drink Is Healthier Than You Think
- Cucumber Juice Benefits: Hydration, Weight Loss & Cooling in Summer
- Watermelon Juice Benefits: Hydration, Skin and Weight Loss Facts
Make ice apple smoothies anywhere this summer. Our portable blenders are rechargeable, and prices start at Rs 1,999.
Browse Portable BlendersReferences
- ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 — code E048 Palm fruit, tender (Borassus flabellifer); E066 water melon, pale green; K002 coconut water; K001 toddy; E047 orange pulp; I001 jaggery, cane. Source for every figure in the nutrition table and for the IFCT names (name index: H. Tar; Kan. Thati mangu; Mal. Panamnungu; O. Tala Saja; Tam. Panai nungu; Tel. Thati munjalu).
- Regional names in script: Tamil Wikipedia, Malayalam Wikipedia, Telugu Wikipedia, Bengali Wikipedia, Kannada Wikipedia, Marathi Wikipedia, Hindi Wikipedia; and English Wikipedia: Borassus flabellifer (size, seeds, state tree of Tamil Nadu, folk uses).
- W.A.F. Hopper, Delicious summer fruit, The Hindu Young World, 1 June 2002 (archived copy): "The British named the Palmyrah fruit ice-apple."
- Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Palmyra (TNAU Agritech) — Tala Vilasam and its 801 uses; preserved nungu as a market product.
- USDA FoodData Central, coconut milk, canned (170173) and coconut milk, raw (170172) — used for the smoothie estimate.
- Yoshikawa M. et al. (2007). New spirostane-type steroid saponins with antidiabetogenic activity from Borassus flabellifer. Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 55(2):308-16. PMID 17268107 — male flowers, sucrose-loaded rats.
- Debnath T. et al. (2013). Hypoglycaemic effects of alcoholic root extract of Borassus flabellifer in normal and diabetic rats. Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 26(4):673-9. PMID 23811441 — root extract, rats.
- Rahman SS. et al. (2026). Integrative in silico and experimental evaluation of Borassus flabellifer immature endosperm for dual modulation of diabetes and hypothyroidism. Nutrients 18(12):1931. PMID 42356318 — endosperm extract, male Wistar rats; "hypothesis-generating".
- No published glycemic index for the ice apple fruit and no human trial in people with diabetes could be found on PubMed (searched 22 October 2026). The two glycemic hits are processed products (sap-powder brownies, palm-flour dessert), not the fresh fruit.
- InstaCuppa store product data for the five portable blenders (price, stock, capacity), read 22 October 2026.
Saran Reddy
Founder, InstaCuppa | Building home and kitchen products that give busy Indian moms their time back
The kitchen takes your mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Your family gets what's left.
InstaCuppa builds time-saving kitchen tools for busy Indian moms — so the kitchen stops stealing the moments you can't get back.
Morning chai without rushing. Evening walks with your kids. Sundays that feel like Sundays.
InstaCuppa — More time for what matters.
Amazon
Top Brand
10+
Years in Business
5L+
Happy Customers
88%
Positive Ratings
As rated on Amazon.in
