Mahua

Madhuca longifolia is a fast-growing tropical tree of the Sapotaceae family, about 20 metres tall, native to the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. The page lists its names as madhūka, mahura, mahuwa, butter tree, iluppai and ippa-chettu, among others. It is grown for its oily seeds, its flowers and its wood. The seed fat, solid at room temperature, is used for skin care, soap and as a vegetable butter. The flowers are rich in sugars, are eaten, and are fermented into mahua, the liquor named for the tree, which several tribal peoples of central India treat as part of their cultural heritage. The page says wine from the flowers is mentioned in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist literature, and quotes a verse in which Mahakala, drunk on madhūka wine, dances before Kali. The tree is sacred at several South Indian temples. Tamil tradition cautions against eating too much of the flower.