Mango

Mango (aa-M-baa ) is one of the favourite fruits of Maharashtra. In Maharashtra mango is considered king of fruits. Almost every district of Maharashtra boasts of its own variety of mango. The best among mangos is Alphonso (haa-poo-s ) variety. It is grown in western coastal area of Maharashtra - Kokan (ko-ka-tn ). haa-poo-s aa-M-baa is great in its eye catching orange colour. Its thick orange pulp and pleasant aroma tempts any one to go for it. ha-poo-s is exported to many countries in the world. No wonder it is crowned as aa-M-byaa-cxhaa raa-jaa (king of mangos) The rich pulp, color and delicious sweet taste of mango gives it a special place in Marathi food.

One will find a mango tree in the back yard of many homes in rural, semi-urban areas, and occasionally in cities. Mango is a seasonal fruit. Its season is from late March to early June, May being its peak. When you visit a Marathi household in summer (or for that matter any other season) you will notice that mango has found its way through many Marathi recipies and snacks. In summer aa-M-byaa-cxhaa ra-s (sweet juicy pulp of mango) and po-hlee (Marathi home-made every day bread; similar in look to tortilla) is the main dish in the meal in almost every Marathi home. It's a real treat for the gourmet. It is also commonly used as a flavor in ice-cream, milk shake, and variety of sweets.

Mango is preserved in different ways so that one can enjoy this fruit when it is not in season. Some of the popular ways are - jam or jelly, aa-m-choo-r , pickles or aa-M-byaa-chee po-hlee . Mango pulp is spread in trays and sun-dried to make aa-M-byaa-chee po-hlee. aa-m-choo-r is another way to preserve the kai-ree . It is a powder of sun-dried kai-ree slices. This powder is used to add a tangy and tart flavor to any recipie.

Like mangos, kai-ree, too has a unique place in Marathi food. kai-ree is the unripe raw mango. It is green in color and sour in taste. One favorite way to eat kai-ree is to take a bite of it with a dash of salt and red chilli powder. You will often hear of fond childhood kai-ryaa adventures from your Marathi friend - how they use to sneak into neighbour's garden, climb mango trees, pluck kai-ryyaa (plural of kai-ree) and run!

kai-ree-cxhe pa-Nha is a special marathi summer drink. It is like lemonade - except prepared using fresh kai-ree. It is a healthy drink to beat summer heat. kai-ryaa are also preserved for the year as pickels of many kinds.