Aloe Vera Leaves (Katrazhai)

Farm-Fresh Aloe Vera Leaves (Katrazhai) — thick, heavy leaves of the edible sotru katrazhai variety, cut to order on our Tamil Nadu farm. Known in Ayurveda as Kumari and in Siddha as a classic cooling herb, aloe has sat at the doorway of Tamil households for generations.

Key Benefits

• Naturally hydrating and very low in calories — the fresh inner gel is about 99% water.
• A natural source of acemannan — the characteristic gel-forming polysaccharide of the inner leaf fillet, alongside phytosterols, enzymes and amino acids.
• Traditionally used in Siddha and Ayurveda as a cooling herb — Kumari is classically regarded as Pitta-pacifying and is the base of the traditional tonic Kumaryasava.
• Long used in traditional topical skin and hair care — fresh gel applied to skin after sun exposure, and to the scalp before an oil bath, is a widespread South Indian household practice.
• Studied for topical skin support — a systematic review of burn-wound studies reported shorter healing times with topical aloe compared with conventional dressings.
• Traditionally taken as part of a light summer diet — as katrazhai thuvaiyal, katrazhai juice and katrazhai pachadi.

Important Safety Information

Drain the yellow latex before use. The yellow-orange sap just beneath the rind contains aloin, a strong natural purgative, and must be drained off and rinsed away. Stand the cut leaf upright for 10–15 minutes, then fillet out and rinse only the clear inner gel until no bitterness remains. Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for young children, without professional advice. Discontinue use if any reaction occurs.

Nutritional Information (per 100 g fresh inner gel)

Fresh aloe is 98.5–99.5% water and is not a meaningful source of macronutrients — we publish honest figures rather than the inflated tables that circulate online. Its value lies in the bioactive compounds of the inner fillet. Botanical name: Aloe barbadensis Miller.

Traditional Tamil Uses & Preparation

• Katrazhai thuvaiyal — the classic Tamil chutney
• Katrazhai juice with lemon and honey — a summer cooler
• Katrazhai pachadi — cubed into curd or buttermilk
• Blended into green juices and smoothies
• Fresh gel as a face mask, or applied to skin after sun exposure
• Applied to the scalp for 20–30 minutes before an oil bath
• Blended with rose water into a home-made face gel

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerate whole and uncut in the crisper drawer, cut end wrapped — keeps 2–3 weeks.
• At room temperature in a cool dry place — 5–7 days.
• Once cut, wrap the cut end and use the remainder within 5–7 days.
• Extracted clear gel: airtight glass jar in the fridge, up to 1 week.
• Freeze gel in ice-cube trays for up to 6 months.
• Do not wash until you are ready to use. Light browning at the cut end is normal oxidation — trim a thin slice.

Certifications & Compliance

• FSSAI licensed food business — licence number displayed in our website footer.
• Grown without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers.
• Organic certification: PGS-India / NPOP (certificate available on request).
• Leaves are sold by weight, not by count — size varies naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove the bitter yellow sap?
Wash the leaf, trim the spiny edges and tip, then stand it upright cut-end-down in a glass for 10–15 minutes so the yellow-orange sap drains out. Rinse, fillet out the clear inner gel with a knife, and rinse the gel again until there is no yellow tinge and no bitterness. Only the clear inner gel is used.

How long will the leaf keep?
Unwashed and uncut in the fridge crisper, a whole leaf keeps 2–3 weeks. Once you cut into it, wrap the cut end and use the rest within about a week. Extracted gel lasts a week refrigerated, or freeze it in cubes for up to 6 months.

Can I eat it, or is it only for skin?
Both — provided you drain the yellow latex properly and use only the clear inner gel. In Tamil kitchens it goes into thuvaiyal, pachadi and summer juices.

Why is my leaf a different size to the photo?
Aloe is a farm-fresh product, so leaf size and weight vary naturally. We pack by weight, not by count.