Edible camphor (pachai karpooram)
खाने वाला कपूर · பச்சை கற்பூரம் · പച്ചക്കർപ്പൂരം · పచ్చ కర్పూరం · ಪಚ್ಚ ಕರ್ಪೂರ
Whole Spices
The temple note in prasadam — sweet pongal, payasam, panakam. Camphor-sweet and faintly menthol, used in traces and never as a flavour you taste on its own.
What to know
There is no correcting an overdose — it takes over the whole pot and cannot be diluted back out. Crush a crumb against a little sugar or jaggery so it disperses, and add it off the heat, since the aroma cooks away.
- Choosing it
- Only camphor sold as edible or food grade — pachai karpooram — goes into food. The tablets and cones sold for aarti are synthetic, are not to be eaten, and are usually shelved close by.
- Storing it
- Airtight in a small glass jar and away from other spices. It sublimates at room temperature and will scent everything in the cupboard.
- By eye
- A crumb the size of a mustard seed flavours a litre. If you can see it as a layer of powder, it is already too much.
- If you cannot get it
- Indian grocers and temple supply counters; outside India, South Indian stores. Nothing substitutes for it — leave it out rather than replacing it.
Recipes using edible camphor
None published yet.