Two woods, two waters
Pathimugam and karingali are not the same water
By PLANT BIONIX · Updated
Kerala has two wood waters, and they are easy to confuse. Pathimugam turns water rose and is drunk all day. Karingali turns it amber-brown, tastes stronger, and is something to measure.
Side by side
| Pathimugam | Karingali | |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | Heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan (sappan wood) | Heartwood of Acacia catechu, also classified as Senegalia catechu |
| Other names | Chappangam, patranga, patang, bakam | Khadira, khair, kattha |
| Colour in water | Blush pink to ruby | Amber to reddish-brown |
| Taste | Clean and faintly earthy | Astringent, closer to a light tea |
| How Kerala drinks it | The everyday household pot, warm, through the day | Karingali vellam, a separate household practice; physicians regard the wood as medicinal |
| How much | Households use a sliver or two per pot | FSSAI lists 1–3 g of heartwood per adult per day |
Why karingali has a daily limit
India’s food regulator lists catechu heartwood among permitted plant ingredients with a range of 1–3 g a day for adults (FSSAI, Schedule IV). It is strongly astringent and rich in tannins; catechu is the kattha in paan. Brewed by the litre and drunk all day, the way pathimugam is, karingali would run well past that range. It belongs in a measured cup, not the all-day pot.
Padmaka, the third wood
Padmaka is Himalayan cherry wood, Prunus cerasoides, and some sources call it pathimukham too. Down To Earth reports that it does not grow naturally in Kerala and that many dahasamani mixes use sappan for their colour. People regularly mix up all three woods, and karingali and padmaka are the “more potent cousins” that Ayurveda physicians regard as medicinal (Goya).
How to buy the right wood
Loose chips are rarely labelled with a species, and the woods are hard to tell apart once cut. Ask for the botanical name, and check it on the pack. Pinkt names its wood on the pack.
Which one is for everyday drinking?
In Kerala, the all-day household water is pathimugam. Karingali is a measured drink with a daily limit. If you are pregnant, take blood-thinning medicines, or have any condition you are unsure about, ask your doctor before drinking either.
Pinkt is pathimugam and nothing else, one sachet per litre. Join the waitlist to hear when it is ready.
PLANT BIONIX products are food, not medicine. References to traditional use describe how these woods and waters have been used in Kerala households, not an outcome you should expect.
