Primary topic: what is Nannari • Published: 6 September 2026 • Last reviewed: 6 September 2026
Botanical and food education is not medical advice. ROOTARI products are foods and are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure disease.
A root, a flavour and a living tradition
For many consumers, Nannari means a fragrant sharbat served with chilled water, lemon or soda. Behind that familiar drink is a root valued for its distinctive aroma and its place in regional food memory. Nannari can also appear in concentrates, infusions, powders and traditional pickle preparations.
Why the common name can be confusing
Common plant names travel across languages, markets and generations. “Nannari,” “Sugandha,” “Mahali” and “Indian sarsaparilla” may be used differently by growers, traders and consumers. A common name is useful culturally, but reliable identification also needs the scientific name, plant characteristics and traceable material.
The ROOTARI identity
ROOTARI’s cultivated Nannari characteristics are relevant to Decalepis hamiltonii, an accepted South Indian species in the Apocynaceae family. Hemidesmus indicus is another accepted species in the same family; it is not the same plant. ROOTARI communicates the distinction so buyers can understand what is being grown and processed.
What Nannari is not
Nannari is not a medicine merely because it has traditional uses or has been studied in laboratories. Food products should be understood through their actual ingredients, serving instructions and nutritional information. Research on concentrated extracts must not be presented as proof that a normal serving prevents, treats or cures disease.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nannari a root or a drink?
Nannari is the common name associated with an aromatic root; Nannari sharbat is a drink prepared from a syrup or extract made with that root.
Is all Nannari the same species?
No. Regional and trade naming can refer to more than one aromatic root, so botanical identity and traceability matter.
Which species is relevant to ROOTARI?
ROOTARI’s cultivated root characteristics are relevant to Decalepis hamiltonii.