A strange fruit:
- looks like a tennis ball, except for the color.
- the shell is as hard as a coconut's - you need a hammer to break it open. You could probably use it as a weapon.
- Once you do, it has this seedy pulp inside, not very pleasant smelling, which you scoop out and add jaggery to (as much jaggery as there is fruit).
- You then eat this mixture - from a taste perspective, I'm not sure why, but apparently there are some health benefits (helps with constipation, dry eye etc.)
Pearl of wisdom: This fruit is not to be shared. Apparently, of the hundreds of seeds contained in each fruit, only one is sweet, so sharing the fruit means that all but one person will miss out on that little treasure (thanks to my grandmother by way of my mother).
Hi Sudha
ReplyDeleteI love woodapple with sugar. We also have a woodapple drink. We don't use a hammer to break it but hit it against another woodapple to break it.
Anusha
Hi Sudha,
ReplyDeleteLike crabs and black walnuts, I can't imagine how it ever occurred to anyone that they could eat such a thing.
Chris
Thanks for the tip, Anusha. I'll try that, though the season's almost done.
ReplyDeleteThe Bael foun in Northern part of India is slightly different by looks. Its little large in shape and the pulp is beautiful dark yellow to orange in color. Very good for curing constipation and a rich source of Vitamin C & Phosphorus. It has a subtle taste but has a good aroma. Take it in form of squash without filtering (swallow the seeds too).
ReplyDelete