High up in the remote valleys of Himachal Pradesh, a hardy tree grows naturally on rocky slopes and marginal farmland. This tree bears small round fruits known locally as Chulli. Unlike the sweet commercial apricot, Chulli offers a tart and aromatic taste that locals treasure. It grows wild and freely in areas above 2,000 metres, surviving the harsh winter and summer without fertilizer or irrigation.
Farmers in these regions have long used Chulli for home consumption, sun drying, and making traditional drinks. Now, with scientific study and value‑addition, this underutilized fruit offers new opportunities to improve livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.
Growing Chulli
Chulli trees are a familiar sight among stone terraces and scattered rocky patches in Kinnaur, Spiti, Lahaul, Chamba, and other high-altitude zones. They require no input and bloom naturally when winter cold breaks in spring. The fruit ripens between May and August depending on altitude.
A full-grown tree in the wild can yield between 35 and 75 kilograms of fruit in a good season. Because it is a self‑reliant species, planting it requires minimal care. Farmers interested in agroforestry or natural orchard systems can allow naturally regenerated trees to grow, prune for better fruit quality, or plant saplings near homes for easier harvest.
Fruit Use and Value Addition
Though Chulli is too sour for many to eat raw, that is its strength for processing. People make sun-dried pieces and pulp, mixing it with sweeter apple or cultivated apricot to prepare jams, chutneys, fruit bars, and traditional fermented liquor. Trials found that combining 25 percent Chulli pulp with 75 percent apple resulted in the best taste and color for jam.
Its sourness, combined with bright color, gives processed products a unique flavor that is attracting interest from rural food enterprises and emerging local brands. Since commercial processing is still limited, there is great scope for farmers or small groups to collect, process, and sell these products locally and regionally.
Kernel and Oil
After processing the fruit, farmers are often left with apricot stones. The hard shell contains kernels full of valuable oil. Research shows that Chulli kernels contain over 45 percent oil, nearly 28 percent protein, and a good amount of fiber and minerals. The oil is rich in unsaturated fats 62 to 70 percent oleic acid and around 20 to 27 percent linoleic acid—as well as vitamins E and carotenoids.
Oil quality indicators like acid value, peroxide value, and iodine value are within acceptable standards for edible oil. This oil can be eaten, used in cooking, lighting lamps, or as a massage and skincare oil. Local communities already produce cold-pressed Chulli oil, sometimes called “Gutti ka Tel” which fetches high retail value as a health or cosmetic product.
Farmer Benefits
For farmers in high-altitude zones, Chulli offers multiple benefits. It requires no cash investment for growing yet brings fruit yield annually, which can be sold fresh to local markets or processed. Its medicinal properties as an anti‑diarrhoeal, anti‑fever, and thirst allaying fruit help local health traditions.
The seeds and residual presscake can feed livestock or be processed into protein concentrates. Extracted oil brings higher market value, and local producers have even obtained Geographical Indication (GI) status for Kinnauri Chulli oil. By using both fruit and seed, rural families can generate income while preserving an agro‑ecological heritage.
Cultivation Tips and Scaling Up
If farmers wish to cultivate Chulli deliberately, they can collect wild saplings or prune mature trees to improve branch structure for better fruiting. Planting in hedges, home gardens, or mixed with forest trees assists in sustainable orchard design. Simple practices like selective pruning, hand harvesting at the right ripeness, and low‑temperature drying help maintain fruit quality.
Collecting seeds and sun‑drying them before oil extraction are key steps. Oil extraction can be done using small-scale cold-press machines or village mills. Press cake after oil can be composted or used as animal feed after detoxifying any bitterness.
Challenges and Road Ahead
While Chulli trees grow on their own, value addition needs coordination. Collection across rugged terrain poses challenge. Oil extraction requires suitable equipment or services. Producers must ensure safe levels of cyanide in kernels through proper processing, as Chulli seeds contain amygdalin which can release hydrogen cyanide if handled incorrectly. Creating awareness, training rural youth in small‑scale processing, and linking to local markets are needed. With support from tribal boards, cooperatives, or agri-extension services, Chulli-based products can reach a wider consumer base.
Chulli, the wild apricot of Kinnaur and Spiti, represents a blend of tradition, nutrition, and rural enterprise. Its sour-sweet fruit, nutritious kernel oil, and ecological adaptability make it a stand-out crop for mountain farmers.
Through simple processing and collective effort, rural communities can convert what was once wild fruit into income‑earning goods while protecting fragile Himalayan environments. By valuing Chulli not just as a local staple but as a product with market and health value, farmers can nurture both their land and livelihoods.
