What is Chyavanprash?
Chyavanprash is a sweet, savory paste made from amla, ghee, herbs and sugar. It is now widely available on the market as a healthy strengthening and regenerating agent for all age groups. Chyavanprash can be stirred into milk, spooned into a paste, or spread on bread like jam.
Manufacturing
To prepare it, a decoction of herbs is prepared. Amla fruits in linen bags are added to this herbal decoction. After some time on the fire, the linen bags and fruit are removed from the brew. The herbal decoction continues to cook until most of the water has evaporated. The amla fruits are removed from the bags and the seeds and fruit fibers are removed. The remaining pulp is roasted in ghee and sesame oil. It takes on a reddish color. In the next step, sugar is added to the herbal broth and the roasted amla pulp is then added to the resulting herbal syrup. With constant stirring, a semi-liquid paste is created, which is then allowed to cool slowly. Finally, honey and spices are added. After the final stirring, the Chyavanprash is ready and can be bottled.
Recipes
There are many recipes for Chyavanprash. Families have their own, traditional family recipe. Professional manufacturers, on the other hand, orientate themselves on the classic compositions found in ancient writings. The different versions differ in consistency and taste. However, the quality of the raw materials is important. High-quality Chyavanprash cannot be a cheap product. Due to the lengthy manufacturing process and expensive ingredients, a high-quality, authentic product has its price.
(the text comes from the Ayurveda Journal No. 56. The Indian history of Chyavanprash is also described there)
Application in my practice
Since Chyavanprash is considered an important Rasayana (Rasayana: bringing the tissues into an optimal condition), I like to use it as a basic remedy for countless illnesses. When consumed daily, it has the property of nourishing our dhatus (tissues) and building them up optimally, supporting our immune strength and in the ancient writings it is also praised as a rejuvenating agent. It contains all 6 flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy, tart).
