Not botanically — it's the seed kernel of a fleshy drupe fruit, though it's used and sold much like a nut in Indian cooking.

What is chironji used for?

It's a classic garnish and ingredient in Indian sweets and desserts like kheer, halwa and barfi, valued for its mild, slightly almond-like flavour.

✿Anacardiaceae · Buchanania

Chironji / Calumpong Nut

Buchanania lanzan

Also known as Almondette Tree, Cheronjee, Cuddapah Almond

Treeoutdoor

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand & more
Flowering: January-May

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How to identify Chironji

Identify Chironji by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Look for a tree habit.
Check the distinctive field mark: Edible almond-like seed (chironji/cuddapah almond).
Confirm leaf shape: Orbicular.
Confirm flower colour: White.
Confirm fruit type: Drupe.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: January-May.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and nearby regions.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Buchanania lanzan
Genus: Buchanania
Family: Anacardiaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Deciduous forests
Habitat type: Forest
Distribution: India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka
Found in India: Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala
Flowering & fruiting: January-May
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf shape: OrbicularrecordedRounded, roughly circular.“The leaves are 10 cm–20 cm × 6 cm–9 cm (3.9 in–7.9 in × 2.4 in–3.5 in), broadly oblong with emarginate (slightly indented at the tip) apices and rounded bases.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Alternate
Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Chironji itself; the rest are typical of the Anacardiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Whiterecorded“The flowers are white and 0.3–0.4 cm (0.12–0.16 in) in diameter.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fruit type: DruperecordedA fleshy fruit with a single hard stone/pit enclosing the seed.“The fruit are drupes, 0.4–1 cm (0.16–0.39 in) in diameter and subglobose (not quite spherical) in shape.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit: Drupe

Characters marked “recorded” are for Chironji itself; the rest are typical of the Anacardiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi: चार Char, चिरोंजी Chironji, धनुष् Dhanush
Nepali: चिरौँजी Chiruanjee, प्यार Pyaar
Bengali: চার Char, চিরৌঞ্জী Chironji, পিয়াল Piyal
Tamil: சாரம் Charam, காட்டுமா Kattuma, புளிமா
Telugu: చార Char, చారుమామిడి Charumamidi, చిన్న మొరలి Chinna Moralli
Kannada: ಚಾರ Char, ಚಾರೋಳೆ Charole, ಧನುಃಪಟ Dhanuh-Pata
Malayalam: മൂങ്ങാപ്പേഴ് Moongaappezh, മുരള്‍ Mural, നുറമരം Nuramaram
Marathi: चार Char, चारोळी Charoli, पियाल Piyal

Chironji in India

This tree, known as चार Char (Hindi), சாரம் Charam (Tamil), చార Char (Telugu), ಚಾರ Char (Kannada), മൂങ്ങാപ്പേഴ് Moongaappezh (Malayalam), चार Char (Marathi), produces one of India's most recognisable dessert nuts. Buchanania lanzan is found across Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, typically in dry deciduous forest.

Uses

Its small, oily seed kernel — chironji — is a classic ingredient in Indian sweets, kheer and garnishes, valued for its mild, almond-like flavour.

How to Identify Chironji

A deciduous tree with leathery, broad, oval leaves. Small greenish-white flowers cluster in branched sprays, followed by small purple-black drupes; each contains a single kernel, the chironji seed, harvested once the fruit dries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Calumpong nut called in different Indian languages?: चार Char (Hindi); சாரம் Charam (Tamil); చార Char (Telugu); ಚಾರ Char (Kannada); മൂങ്ങാപ്പേഴ് Moongaappezh (Malayalam); चार Char (Marathi); চার Char (Bengali).
Is chironji a nut?: Not botanically — it's the seed kernel of a fleshy drupe fruit, though it's used and sold much like a nut in Indian cooking.
What is chironji used for?: It's a classic garnish and ingredient in Indian sweets and desserts like kheer, halwa and barfi, valued for its mild, slightly almond-like flavour.

Botanical family

Anacardiaceae

Cashew family

Chironji belongs to the Anacardiaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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Sources: GBIF — Buchanania lanzan (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Buchanania lanzan (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)