in India and placed in cupboards to prevent insects eating the clothes, and also in tins where rice is stored. The flowers are also used in many Indian festivals like Ugadi. See below: #Association with Hindu festivals in India. As a vegetable The tender shoots and flowers of the neem tree are eaten as a vegetable in India. A soup-like dish called in Tamil (translated as "neem flower rasam") made of the flower of neem is prepared in Tamil Nadu. In Bengal, young neem leaves are fried in oil with tiny pieces of eggplant (). The dish is called and is the first item during a Bengali meal that acts as an appetizer. It is eaten with rice. Neem is used in parts of mainland Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, Laos (where it is called ), Thailand (where it is known as or ), Myanmar (where it is known as ) and Vietnam (where it is known as and is used to cook the salad ). Even if lightly cooked, the flavour is quite bitter, and the food is not consumed by all inhabitants of these nations. In Myanmar, young neem leaves and flower buds are boiled with tamarind fruit to soften its bitterness and eaten as a vegetable. Pickled neem leaves are also eaten with tomato and fish paste sauce in Myanmar. Traditional medicine Products made from neem trees have been used in the traditional medicine of India for centuries, but there is insufficient clinical evidence to indicate any benefits of using neem for medicinal purposes. In adults, no specific doses have been established, and short-term use of neem appears to be safe, while long-term use may harm the kidneys or liver; in small children, neem oil is toxic and can lead to death. Neem may also cause miscarriages, infertility, and low blood sugar. The entire tree including its leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots and bark have been utilised in traditional medicine for various treatments such as inflammation, infections, fever, skin diseases and dental disorders. The medicinal utilities have been described in particular for the neem leaf. Pest and disease control Neem is a key ingredient in non-pesticidal management (NPM), providing a natural alternative to synthetic pesticides. Neem seeds are ground into powder that is soaked overnight in water and sprayed on the crop. To be effective, it must be applied repeatedly, at least every ten days. Neem does