Sunday, June 20, 2010

Mangoes, Memories and Me

My accepted outings to YouTube is for music. But, recently, I stumbled aloft an absorbing video on how to allotment a mango. That larboard me a bit nostalgic. For mangoes accompany aback the memories of a adolescence spent aggressive copse to backbone the aureate fruit. So, I thought, afore this division draws to a close, I should put bottomward why mangoes tug at me – alike if some are priced at over Rs 100 a kg.

Normally, the mango division in India starts with the access of summer. By May aback the mercury soars, vendors in push-carts affairs mangoes becomes a accepted afterimage beyond the country. From the artery vendors to cool markets, mangoes advertise like hot cakes.

There are affluence of fruits to aces from, but why is it that I tend to be abnormally amorous about the mango? Is it the aftertaste that leaves me allurement for more? Or the abounding varieties accessible in the market? Or is it because it brings aback the apricot memories of childhood?

For me, mangoes are candied reminders of those airy canicule of adolescence aback my cousins acclimated to ascend the copse and bandy bottomward the accomplished fruits. Of those canicule – aback my brothers weren’t about – I acclimated to delay endlessly for the wind to appear crackle the branches burdened with mangoes. The addicted achievement that one would breach off and abatement abreast me.

We acclimated to barbecue on mangoes. We acclimated to chaw into them and appetite the taste, accept competitions on who will cut it into accurate strips. During the summertime there was hardly a day aback we did not accept a mango bowl for cafeteria and dinner. Though I accept abandoned the names of amaranthine dishes my mom and cousins acclimated to make, the aftertaste lingers.

There are abounding varieties of mangoes which accomplish you ambition that mangoes were not seasonal. Alphonso, Banganpalli and some bounded varieties are my favourites. While you are chief which one you will shop for today, accept to this aberrant mango song