The heady scent of ripe mangoes wafts inside our home spreading its aroma in the air. Every year, we are blessed with a bounty of mangoes shared by friends and family.
The heady scent of ripe mangoes wafts inside our home spreading its aroma in the air. Every year, we are blessed with a bounty of mangoes shared by friends and family. What is truly special is that the fruits are either home-grown or produced on their own farmlands. So, we get to enjoy the inherent taste of each mango variety, untainted by chemicals and pesticides.
For years, I have been reluctant to eat mangoes bought from stores after reading horrific stories about the methods used for artificial ripening, before and after plucking. Why would we do that to our trees is something I will never understand! In fact, at the recently held farmers' conference organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it was mentioned that man is the only living being who poisons his or her own food. No other living creature does that!
Following that same train of thought, it dawned on me that in recent years I have heard of many people complaining that they suffer from indigestion or tummy ache after eating mangoes. The King of fruits has to take the blame for these human maladies for no fault of its own because it cannot speak up against the atrocities of greedy farming practices.
It is of utmost importance that we are aware of the source of our foods. Ask questions! Know where your mangoes come from! Instead of blindly buying kilos of 'Alphonso' or 'Banganapalli' or any other sought-after variety, look around you. There are mango trees everywhere. Educate yourself about local varieties. Spot a tree in your neighbourhood and ask friends about the kind that is available near their homes.
Over the past few months, we have eaten green mangoes grown in our home and in the farms of friends. We made pickle from 'Vadu Maanga' sourced from the tribals of the Thirumoorthy Hills, and feasted on the Salem Gundu Maanga and Malgova.
The huge, pale-coloured 'Himampasand' is also a favourite, not to mention fat slices of the 'Kilimooku Maanga' with a dusting of red chilli powder and salt.
Despite indulging in a mango (sometimes 2) a day, our stomachs have not felt any discomfort in the least. I can only attribute it to the fact that these mangoes were cultivated naturally.
To add to this list, a friend from Mumbai gifted us a large quantity of 'Pairi' mangoes.
These, like the 'Rasalu' mangoes of Andhra Pradesh are used for making juice. The famous 'Aam Ras' (thick mango juice) is made using the Pairi. The flesh is juicy, soft and not fibrous, with depths of sweetness. It is not sugary sweet but has a unique flavour, which for me is what 'Aam Ras' is all about!.
If you are wondering how I am familiar with the 'Aam Ras,' having grown up in Coimbatore, it is because I spent many afternoons tucking into a meal of 'Aam Ras and Roti' at the home of our Gujarati friends who are like family.
Katori after katori of Aam Ras would be polished off during summer, along with bowls of fajeta (mango-flavoured buttermilk gravy). The thin rotis would be stacked to such a height that despite my brothers and I polishing them off more than two dozens of them, there would be no sign of the pile diminishing.
A bowl of cold Aam Ras for me is not just comfort food but takes me back to that feeling of unconditional love experienced each time at Aunt Anila's table. Today, she is no longer alive. I could not wait to make a batch of Aam Ras the very day that the Pairi mangoes arrived. One whizz in the blender is enough to turn these mangoes into a smooth pulp. Thoughts of my childhood enveloped me as I went about the task of ladling the pulp into the containers. After the lids were snapped shut, I couldn’t resist digging a spoon into the jar to taste the remnants of the golden yellow purée. My taste buds identified the familiar taste and for that instant I was not in my kitchen but transported to the dining table where the Aam Ras initiation happened, decades ago!
The colours of the Pairi mangoes comprises of many colours - a deep blush red, a golden yellow and a vivid green. The skin is thin and offers little resistance when slicing. Someone suggested freezing this pulp so that I could enjoy it whenever I wanted to, right through the year. But, I think not ! The season for mangoes is now! This is the time of the year when the body accepts these nutrients. For now, the Aam Ras is in my refrigerator and it is ours to feast on for the week ahead. Ending the Indian summer with yet another mango tale!