Simplicity Coimbatore , Rose apples/a
A fruit which has been popping up often of late, is the rose apple. Though I had never seen it around here as a child it apparently takes well to the soil here in Coimbatore. It is also possible that the plant nurseries here are stocking more rose apple saplings than before. Whatever the reason might be, the fruit is definitely gaining awareness.
We don’t see these in the supermarkets , the ones I have eaten are all home grown . Although just after the lock down started ,I did spot a street vendor ,on one of my rare grocery outings, pushing his cart piled high with rose apples. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but later I did wonder how he was out and about ,peddling his wares.
A few days later I heard that the push carts selling essentials were allowed to function in back alleyways and quiet streets as long as they followed the rules.
The rose apple boasts of a deep blush colour that does make you think of someone in the pink of health, rosy cheeks and all. But then I learned that there was a white version of it too which put my theory to bed. Still !… it is a pretty name wouldn’t you say ?
Pic credits : Ramya Arjun
A few days ago , my thoughtful sister-in-law dropped off some ‘just then plucked’ rose apples at my gate. She has them growing in her back yard at home. The rose apple plant grows to the stature of a small tree, I am told. The fruit hang in pretty bell like clusters. The shape is similar to that of a cashew fruit which balloons out towards the end before going into an inward pucker. When the fruits are ripe the plant is visited frequently not by bats or bees but by fruit flies which feed on the pulp in order to mature into the pupa stage.
The fruit needs to be washed thoroughly before eating because the small openings near the core can have bits of insect embedded within. The texture of the rose apple is crunchy similar to that of a fresh apple when in season. The actual pulp is much thinner than that of an apple. It is sweet but also has a mild astringency which is felt towards the end, just before swallowing.
But this fruit is ideal for summer. It is light , refreshing and who doesn’t like crisp ,juicy bites to munch on when the weather is making us sweat to the extent of having to mop up into buckets !
We chose to have the rose apples for breakfast but not before taking a picture of the lone single fruit which was in the basket with the twig and two leaves still attached to it. Picture perfect and ‘ripe’ for clicking . Cutting into the fruit felt like I was slicing into a pear. The grainy sound of taut skin and watery flesh against the hard steel of the fruit knife is one which I love because it resonates of healthy eating choices.
A compound in rose apples, procyanidin B-2 is said to be beneficial for the hair. The fruit and juice is supposed to possess hydrating properties for the skin as well as offer UV protection , treat acne and good at treating numerous other health disorders. (Do read the link provided)
Fruit when eaten in the morning,at our home, is always done so on an empty stomach. It is something which I read about being beneficial to the digestive process. Raw foods break down faster and are absorbed differently than when cooked. So it is not really advisable to mix the two. It makes sense so we have followed this for some years now , with rare exceptions every now and then. Sometimes in summer when we are spoilt for choice with the array of fruits available, it is very tempting to just have our fill of fruit in the morning. As long as we are prepared to meet those hunger pangs by mid day.
I was talking to a friend about the rose apple (Chambakka), her family in Kerala have had these trees growing in their home since many years now, decades even. She was saying that they make a quick pickle out of it ,similar to our arutha maanga urugai. I did find a link to the same and will be sharing it at the end of this article.
Another recipe is less time consuming, it is a rose apple juice. It can be had raw or after boiling for a few minutes. Pieces of rose apple are blended in a mixer jar with sugar, lemon juice and a little water. This can be strained and had straight away. When it is had raw, the juice is a pretty pale pink colour. I knew of this after we had eaten most of the rose apples so we did not have enough to make juice with.
When it is put to boil the colour does dull from a pink to an onion skin shade but apparently still tastes delicious.
The best thing about seasonal fruits like these are that they have not been over cultivated and lost their originality. The limited quantity that is available is usually from backyards and groves which happen to have the rose apple tree growing among the many other kinds of native plants and shrubs.
This is also probably the best time for each of us to think about growing our own. Imagine living in a neighbourhood where each home had a couple of fruit trees each and an assorted vegetable garden. We wouldn’t need to worry about social distancing at the grocery store as often as we do now.
Recipe and health info on the rose apples
https://www.fashionlady.in/benefits-of-rose-apple-and-side-effects/134527
https://www.cookingandme.com/2010/03/22/chambakka-achaar-recipe-pickled-water/
No comments yet.