Showing posts with label Mangoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mangoes. Show all posts

Friday, May 9, 2008

Summer Vacations and Mangoes

Come April, Come May, Come June ... As soon as the summer season starts kicking in, some things that instantly would pop up in your mind, especially as a teenager (which I was some years back) are - Summer Vacations, No Schools, Only Sports - Cricket, Swimming, Sports Club, Ellisbridge Gymkhana, Karnavati Club, Lots of Movies and of-course the King of Fruits - Mangoes !!!

With the summer season going on back in India in Ahmedabad, the mangoes have already started making the rounds, with prices shooting up or going down(which is rarely seen), imports and exports increasing, be it a 7 year old child or a 70 year old elder, everyone is digging their teeth and treating themselves to the mangoes, in all sorts, mango shakes, mango rolls, mango pieces and the best of all - apdo "Keri noh Ras" ...

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As a child, I used to devour upon these mangoes all day long in the summers. Mom would specially take out more "Ras" for me so that even after lunch I can take it as a desert later in the afternoon. I remember I used to hate the threads (resa) which used to accompany the sweet ras, but still couldnt help holding back and would gobble it up. "Alphonso" the best of the best in Mangoes, and it would be almost everyone's "noor of the eye" ...

Most of us, are also fond of sucking to the mangoes, with its skin on, then creating a hole on the top and just keep on enjoying the taste of the sweetness flowing from that fruit. Then comes the turn of the big seed called "gotla" ... Gotlas were favorites for cooking with oil and some spices to be eaten as a snack. Some small kids would also get a treat of a roll called "Keri noh papad" which is made by spreading the ras on a flat pan and letting it dry in the sun.

Its been almost 4 years now since I have tasted mangoes, and its other forms. Of-course one would get the same here in the US, but no fun like sitting in a patio, on a swing, in shorts, on a warm summer afternoon, having 2-3 mangoes by your side, swinging in the warm breeze, and eating and sucking those mangoes to the fullest...NOTHING CAN BEAT IT FRIENDS !!!!

My best memory during these summer vacations would be, having Keri noh Ras, Rice, Ghee, Sunth all mixed up and eating it with Papads....And then turning the fan on at 3-4 points, letting a cool breeze flow, cover the windows with drapes, turn the TV on, lay back and just drift away in a splendid summer afternoon nap snoring away feeling satisfied as if on the Top of the World !!!

Of-course then comes the fun part in the evening, just constantly tirelessly keep on playing cricket hitting the ball all over the ground, visiting friends, going for movies, especially Drive-In, enjoying to the fullest and then come back and have pieces of mangoes again at night along with some mango thick shakes ...

Phew ! What a Life it was and What Summers Were Those !!!
Alphonso, Cricket, Ratnagiri, Tennis, Devgadh, Swimming, Kesar, Movies, Langdo, Picnics, Payri, Afternoon naps.....

I know most of you would have experienced something of the same intensity and happiness and the lucky ones are still able to do so back home.. So feel free to share your best experiences from the Summers and the Mangoes season...

Cheers

Samkit