Before we get into listing and explaining, let’s take a second to remind ourselves about what chyawanprash is. Chyawanprash is a food created from ghee (Indian clarified butter), sugar, honey, Indian gooseberries, and dozens of traditional herbs and spices. Chyawanprash is a thick, dark substance, almost like molasses. It is sweet, sour, and herbally complex. Using in your daily diet may also support a healthy immune system, brain, and may help to maintain blood pressure already within the normal range.
Chyawanprash is made from many different ingredients, although many formulations include most of the following because they have been studied for their potential benefits, or are written about in many ancient Ayurvedic texts..
- Ashwagandha – This is Indian ginseng. Ginseng alone has a reputation as a nearly all-purpose tonic. Here, it adds its influence to an even more complex cocktail of plants.
- Asparagus racemosus – This cousin of the common Western asparagus plant has many potential benefits. Known as shatavari in Ayurvedic medicine, it is a tonic that has been administered for its potential benefits for thousands of years.
- Amla – This Indian gooseberry is considered sacred by the Hindus.
- Bamboo Manna – This is a translucent substance collected from the inside of bamboo. It is attributed many health-promoting properties.
- Blue Egyptian Water Lilly – This ancient flower contains a psychoactive alkaloid called apomorphine that is sometimes found in western medicines.
- Cardamom – Cardamom is a common spice used in Indian cooking that might just be in your kitchen cabinet.
- Indian Kudzu – Like American kudzu, this prolific vine climbs all over everything. Is root is an essential element in traditional Chyawanprash.
- Liquorice – Familiar to westerners, this herb is known for its complex flavor and chemical structure. Used in medicines around the world, it finds a natural home in chyawanprash.
- Nut Grass – Nut grass is used for many purposes, such as mat and basket making. But it’s the seed that’s of interest in Ayurvedic medicine, though its flavor is unpalatable to some on its own, is found to taste excellent in chyawanprash.
- Tiger’s Claw – Fortunately we are talking about a plant and not the personal property of a certain endangered big cat. Its bark and leaves are reputed to provide help for aging women and monthly challenges.
We’ve described ten chyawanprash ingredients and we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of commonly used chyawanprash ingredients. There are no rules about which ingredients you must use. Instead, find the ingredients that fit your specific tastes and help you achieve feelings of wellness during the day.
- Chebulic Myrobalan
- Honey
- Wild Green Gram
- Wild Black Gram
- Guduchi
- Galls
- Sandalwood
- Raisins
- Potassium Sorbate
- Hogweed
- Chinese Cinnamon
- Sesame Oil
- Malabar Nut
- Long Pepper
- Round Zedoary
- Clove
- Cinnamon Bark
- Indian Rose Chestnut
- Country Mallow
- Giant Potato
While you may not want to use every ingredient, some recipes call for as many as 80 herbs, spices, oils and more! Check out our favorite recipe!
Because the composition of homemade chyawanprash can be something of a mishmash (apart from a few essential ingredients), many users want to try a pre-formulated versions that come from a trusted manufacturer. When chyawanprash is made informally, practitioners are encouraged to feel free to leave out an ingredient, or substitute another, according to chyawanprash ingredients available.
While this can result in an excellent final product, we recommend chyawanprash products that we supply. We can give our customers specific information about the ingredients used, and the potential benefits one might enjoy. We can also provide convenient shipping, guaranteed to arrive more quickly than all of the isolated ingredients you’d need to DIY chyawanprash at home. We hope you enjoy this information and that you find a friend in this ancient tonic.