THE KING OF FRUITSA great morning,started listening to LALITHA SAHASRA NAMAM,chatting with a sincere friend and reading my daily good morning greetings.living in chennai,someone finds time to send the beautiful lines early morning and really,they cheer me up!
two weeks before shankar brought the mangoes from home.i was waiting for that.by the time i reach chandra prabha,the season will be over.yesterday nanda had been to home and she was telling,the numerous mango trees are ladened with fruits.she plucked a few moovandan mangoes.amma used to prepare ''gosai manga''-a sort of pickle with this variety.oh!my! you must taste this.you will lick your fingers!
my parents have planted many mango trees.my childhood memories linger around these.near mundiyan thara-the small pambin kavu-we had kolan mago tree,sarkarachi mango and the prathaman mango tree.
in summer,just one breeze,hundreds of kolan mangoes fall to the ground.we cousins cllected the mangoes ealry in the morning,later elders,squeezed the juice on a mat and got it dried.it was kept for the rainy season.we called it manga paya or manga thira.it was dried in the hot sun for many days.later we cut it and kept in the bharanis.
from the village ,groups of children used to come and wait under the tree to collect the mangoes!they used to pray for wind.the tree was tall and noone could even think of getting to it.even the naughty boys could not throw stones!
how can i forget the delicious sarkarachi manga?it's small n round in shape.it just melts in the mouth.
the prathaman mango tree was huge and we used to sit on the trunk and study.it has a special taste.
and we had thenga manga.what a strange name!this variety is of big in size and may be due to this,it got the name.we used to tie our swing on the branch of this mango tree.
then we had a vellari mango tree.the mango was long in shape and it might have been named after the shape.even after so many years,my taste buds can experience all the different tastes these mangoes could offer!
all these mango trees were cut;but my parents had planted many more.but alas,we never could get the saplings of these variety.none of the saplings of these variety grew well.
achan always made the workers make the long bamboo sticks with hooks of small bamboo pieces and those were used to pluck the mangoes.my younger brother is an expert in this.
valiyamma n amma keep the mango slices in the hot sun to get them dried up.my little star n mazaused to take a few pieces from the plate and relish them secretly.
even now,i have last year's dried mangoes in the fridge.my mouth is watering now. i use it rarely so that i can manage till may.
amma sent the mango pickle with the finely chopped mangoes.one can have double the amount of rice with just curds and this mango pickle.
we have a huge cheena bharani at chandra prabha in which since years,uppu manga is kept.that is always there,through out the year!when the mango season gets over,we have it with rice .little bit of chili powder and uppu manga mixed with coconut oil to have with rice!when someone was sick,this uppumanga was served with hot kanji.wow!
the guests were offered with ripe mango slices and a steel glass full of sambharam.
the blooming of mango trees,the intoxicating smell of the flowers take us to another world!i simply love that![mamppokkal manassinu tharunna tharalitha bhavam....................]
in summer vacations,when we reached, kamalalayam,achan's house,different types of mangoes were kept for us.never in my life i could taste those special mangoes again.
the mango trees are short with many branches.we could easily climb the trees and pluck the mangoes.sitting on the branches,we enjoyed those mangoes!nothing can replace those beautiful moments of childhood.
there was a popular film song-''mangakalil vechu malgoayanu nee....................''
then i knew,this kind could be the best one!
after marriage,when i came to this beautiful state,little did i know, hundreds of the quality mangoes wait for me!shankar's house is in an estate full of mango trees,and jackfruit trees.i got very good ottu mangoes[the grafted ones] from his house.the summer is so cool there,but we hardly get time to enjoy the stay.
neelan, priyor are very good varieties.
nothing can replace the fresh mango juice!just one glass to refresh yourself!lovely!i like to have the whole mango ,biting with my teeth,licking the overflowing juice from my hand with my tongue,squeezing the seed till it gets dry!
Mankurad,monserrate,Xavier,Alphonso,Timot,Sacrin,Fernand,Colace,Pairy and many more!but presently only two varieties of local mangoes are available in the market-Mankurad and Pairy.since past several days,Ratnagiri Alphonso is being sold on a large scale, but the prices remain static till date.
Mankurad and Pairy are beyond the reach of the common man.an average man can't afford to think of enjoying them at the present rate.the continuous falling of dew for the past several weeks destroyed the bloom.here,the mango season is yet to pick up.
some mangoes in the market are sold for sixty rupees and fifty rupees each while the big size are sold for hundred rupees each and two hundred rupees for three.Ratnagiri Alphonso are sold for four hundred rupees a dozen and Mankurad for nine hundred rupees a dozen.
Mankurant mangoes are in demand in the market due to their delicious taste but it is not affordable for common man.
when the forests and agricultural lands are being turned into concrete jungles,please in this monsoon,plant a few mango saplings in your compound.you are giving shelter to a large number of birds and the delicious fruits worth the hard work of planting the saplings.our kind gestures make a lot of difference to the forthcoming generation.
the vellarikka and manga kootan is one of my favourites.mangaparikku is the best.we take a little of coconut,mango pieces,green chillies,salt and mustard seeds.just grind it with curds and add curry leaves and coconut oil.give a try!
and i don't have to tell you about pazhutha mampazha kootan..............and with curds,u don't need anything else to have a large amount of rice.
now updating about the events of the day.....................
today is AAYILYAM.we have special pooja for the NAGAS at SHREE AYYAPPA TEMPLE.
today is PALM SUNDAY-kuruthola perunnal.in my village,all my christiam neighbours will be participating in the religious procession holding the palm fronds.they will be singing ..........''oshana,oshana...........''
we sing that old song,''kuruthola perunnalinu palliyil pokanam.........''this is the last week of LENT.it's the holy week for christians.it culminates with EASTER.PALM SUNDAY will be followed by MAUNDY THURSDAY and GOOD FRIDAY!JESUS teaches us,''suffering is not the end,there is also joy.''
i feel relieved after writing this post.before the season gets over,pack your bags and land here,in this beautiful land of yummy mangoes.the hills,the beaches,the greens and the springs await you.don't wait for the eleventh hour...........and yes,while shopping don't forget to buy a few Mankurand mangoes and to take them to your dear ones.
i love all of you!
it's anu signing off..................
enjoy and relax today........
sasneham,
anu
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