Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is the fruit of a small to medium-sized deciduous tree native to India. The berries are greenish yellow with a fibrous inner texture. Harvested in autumn by hand, they have a sour, bitter, and astringent taste. In Hinduism, the amla tree is considered sacred to the goddess Lakshmi. A much-beloved staple of traditional Ayurvedic medicine, amla is considered a cooling pitta herb.