Garcinia cambogia is grown for its fruit in coastal Karnataka and Kerala in India. It thrives in most moist forests. It is popularly termed "Malabar tamarind", and shares culinary uses with the tamarind (Tamarindus indica). It is used in cooking, including in the preparation of curries. The fruit rind and extracts of Garcinia species are called for in many traditional recipes, and various species of Garcinia are used similarly in food preparation in Assam (India), Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, and other Southeast Asian countries.

In late 2012, a United States television personality, Dr. Oz, promoted Garcinia cambogia extract as an exciting breakthrough in natural weight loss’. Clinical trials, however, do not support claims that Garcinia cambogia is an effective weight-loss aid.