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Goan Summer Fruits - Zambllam, Kannt'tam, Churnam ani Poddkovam! By Domnic Fernandes Anjuna/Dhahran, KSA [EMAIL PROTECTED] The summer has already begun in Goa and it reminds me of my childhood days when we ate several delicious summer fruits without spending a single paisa. Here are four of those fruits: 1) JAMBOLAN (ZAMBLLAM) The jambolan is a native to India. Seedlings grow slowly the first year, rapidly thereafter, and may reach 12 ft. in 2 years, and begin bearing in 8 to 10 years. Grafted trees bear in 4 to 7 years. No particular cultural attention is required. Organic fertilizer is applied after harvest but withheld in advance of flowering and fruiting to assure a good crop. If a tree does not bear heavily, it may be girdled or root-pruned to slow down vegetative growth. Jambolan is fast-growing, reaching full size in 40 years. It ranges up to 100 ft. in India, and it may attain a spread of around 36 ft. and a trunk diameter of 2 or 3 ft. It usually forks into multiple trunks a short distance from the ground. Sometimes, the main trunk of a "Beddos" (tree bearing small jambolan,) which is usually very tall and wide, has a cavity created by detachment of a branch. These cavities are used by "gar" (monitor lizard) as their dwellings. The "pad'daii" (woodpecker,) "sanvor" (magpie) and "kir" (parrot) also use the cavities to make their nests therein. The tree is wind-resistant and sometimes is closely planted in rows along roadsides as a windbreak. If topped regularly, such plantings form a dense, massive hedge. In Chinvar, Anjuna, on the way to Siolim, we have around 300-meter stretch of road covered with jambolan hedge; hence, the stretch is called "Zambllinim." The bark on the lower part of the tree is rough, cracked, flaking and discolored; further up it is smooth and light-gray. The turpentine-scented evergreen leaves are opposite; oblong-oval or elliptic, blunt or tapering to a point at the apex; pinkish when young; when mature, leathery, glossy, dark-green above, lighter beneath, with conspicuous, yellowish midrib. The fruit, in clusters of just a few or 10 to 50, is oblong, often curved; ½ to 2 inches long, and usually turns from green to light-magenta, then dark-purple or nearly black as it ripens. The skin is thin, smooth, glossy, and adherent. The pulp is purple or white, very juicy, and normally encloses a single, oblong, green or brown seed, up to 1 ½ inches in length, though some fruits have 2 to 5 seeds tightly compressed within a leathery coat, and some are seedless. The fruit is usually astringent, sometimes unpalatably so, and the flavor varies from acid to fairly sweet. "Zambllam" is yet another Goan fruit delicacy which is abundantly available in every village. During the summer season, one can see scores of children as well as adults "zamblli pondak" (under a jambolan tree) either picking up fallen "zambllam" or using a "manchi xintari with kelkem" (bamboo stick with a hook at its top end) to shake a branch and loosen zambllam to fall, or a person climbs a tree and shakes a branch thus making ripe "zambllam" fall. If you see a young lad in a tree, he is definitely one of the local Goan boys, as Bomboikars or Goans living abroad mostly don't know how to climb a tree because they don't get such opportunities in Bomboi or abroad. Jambolan of good size and quality, having a sweet or sub-acid flavor and a minimum of astringency, are eaten raw and may be made into tarts, sauces and jam. Astringent fruits are improved in palatability by soaking them in salt water or pricking them, rubbing them with a little salt, and letting them stand for an hour. All but decidedly inferior fruits are utilized for juice which is much like grape juice. When extracting juice from cooked jambolan, it is recommended that it be allowed to drain out without squeezing the fruit and it will thus be less astringent. The white-fleshed jambolan has adequate pectin and makes a very stiff jelly unless cooking is brief. The more common purple-fleshed yields richly colored jelly but it is deficient in pectin and requires the addition of a commercial jelling agent or must be combined with pectin rich fruits such as unripe or sour guavas. Good quality jambolan juice is excellent for sherbet, syrup and squash. The latter is a bottled drink prepared by cooking the crushed fruits, pressing out the juice, combining it with sugar and water and adding citric acid and sodium benzoate as a preservative. The best way to eat "zambllam" is to pluck them from the tree, apply a little salt and keep them in the sun for at least an hour. You then just place them in your mouth and suck them from within where they keep on 'melting.' Before you know it they are empty! I still can't forget the incident that took place when I was about 8 years old. One of my neighbors who was about 4 years older than I, was collecting "Beddsam" (small zambllam) by throwing stones at a tall "Beddos" but he wouldn't give me any, and I couldn't take them forcibly from him because he was not only much stronger than I but also rough in nature. So, I thought of an idea. The moment he threw a stone, I decided to run under the tree and collect "Beddsam" which I did and succeeded but the third stone landed exactly on my head resulting in blood flowing on my face and on my clothes. The guy immediately placed both his hands in his pockets, offered me all the "Beddsam" and pleaded with me not to cry and also not to tell his mother, but how could I do that? I was already bleeding profusely. I, therefore, use this incident as a lesson - people give in only after the damage is done and not before! Jambolan tree branches are not very strong. Therefore, if you climb a tree, make sure you don't go too far on its branches. If you do, they will give way and you will land on the ground! It happened to me twice when I was a young boy but luckily I suffered no fractures. Jambolan vinegar, extensively made throughout India, is an attractive, clear purple, with a pleasant aroma and mild flavor. In Goa, people make "zambllancho soro" (jambolan wine,) somewhat like Port Wine. It is very medicinal, especially to those who suffer from diabetes. It is worth tasting. So, when in Goa, inquire from local people and go for it. I am sure you will like it just as I do. Here is how jambolan wine can be made: REQUIREMENT: 2 5-gallon glass bottles or plastic containers 1 hose for siphoning 1 soft transparent cellophane baggie + 2 rubber bands 12 bottles of jambolan juice 1 teaspoon of yeast 1 KG refined sugar (may use more than 1 KG sugar if you want to make Non-Dry wine) STEPS 1) Empty the juice into a bucket 2) Pour 3 bottles drinking water into the bucket 3) Pour 3 bottles drinking water into a cooking pot, place the pot on a stove and when the water gets warm add 1 KG refined sugar and stir until dissolved (do not boil the water) 4) Put one teaspoon of yeast and 2-3 teaspoons of sugar into a glass or water which has been warmed and stir well; this activates the yeast (wait for 5-6 minutes to ascertain this fact.) Add the contents of the glass to the bucket with juice 5) Mix the contents well with your arm or a large spoon 6) Pour the contents in the empty glass bottle or plastic container 7) Cover the opening of the bottle/plastic container with cellophane baggie and secure it with rubber bands 8) Place the bottle/plastic container in a dark place; do not open it 9) 21 days later, clarify by siphoning the contents into a second bottle/plastic container. Siphon from the top down without disturbing the bottom; do not siphon 1 inch or more from the bottom; do not throw away the residue if you wish to make another batch 10) *After another 21 days, siphon the contents of the bottle/plastic container #2 into empty bottles. Siphon from the top down without disturbing the bottom residue; do not siphon 1 inch or more from the bottom; do not throw away the residue 11) Allow the contents of the bottles to settle for at least a week and then start consuming 12) Follow the same procedure to make the second batch and so on but you will have the left-over residue from step #9 and 10 as an additional ingredient. *If you wish, you may reduce the number of days for this step to half or even skip it. LEAVES: The leaves have served as fodder for livestock and as food for tassar silkworms in India. Some people use young jambolan shoots for cleaning their teeth. They are rich in tannin and contain the enzymes esterase and galloyl carboxylase which are presumed to be active in the biosynthesis of the tannins. The essential oil distilled from the leaves is used to scent soap and is blended with other materials in making inexpensive perfume. The leaves, steeped in alcohol, are prescribed in diabetes. The leaf juice is effective in the treatment of dysentery, either alone or in combination with the juice of mango or emblic leaves. Jambolan leaves may be helpful as poultices on skin diseases. They yield 12 to 13% tannin (by dry weight.) The leaves, stems, flower buds, opened blossoms and bark have some antibiotic activity. BARK: Jambolan bark yields durable brown dyes of various shades depending on the mordant and the strength of the extract. The bark contains 8 to 19% tannin and is much used in tanning leather and preserving fishing nets. A decoction of the bark is taken internally for dyspepsia, dysentery, and diarrhea and also serves as an enema. The root bark is similarly employed. Bark decoctions are taken in cases of asthma and bronchitis and are gargled or used as mouthwash for the astringent effect on mouth ulcerations, spongy gums, and stomatitis. Ashes of the bark, mixed with water, are spread over local inflammations, or, blended with oil, applied to burns. In modern therapy, tannin is no longer approved on burned tissue because it is absorbed and can cause cancer. Excessive oral intake of tannin-rich plant products can also be dangerous to health. Paste made of jambolan bark is applied over inflamed part to reduce inflammation. The seeds, marketed in ¼ inch lengths, and the bark, are much used in tropical medicine. Extracts of both, but especially the seeds, in liquid or powdered form, are freely given orally, 2 to 3 times a day, to patients with diabetes mellitus or glycosuiria. In many cases, the blood sugar level reportedly is quickly reduced and there are no ill effects. Overall, the jambolan has received far more recognition in folk medicine and in the pharmaceutical trade than in any other field. Medicinally, the fruit is stated to be astringent, stomachic, carminative, antiscorbutic and diuretic. Cooked to a thick jam, it is eaten to allay acute diarrhea. The juice of the ripe fruit, or a decoction of the fruit, or jambolan vinegar, may be administered in cases of enlargement of the spleen, chronic diarrhea and urine retention. Water-diluted juice is used as a gargle for sore throat and as a lotion for ringworm of the scalp. WOOD: The wood is red, reddish-gray or brownish-gray, with close, straight grain. In India, it is commonly used for beams and rafters, posts, bridges, boats, oars, masts, troughs, well-lining, agricultural implements, carts, solid cart wheels, railway sleepers and the bottoms of railroad cars. It is sometimes made into furniture but has no special virtues to recommend it for cabinet work. It is a fairly satisfactory fuel. 2 &3) KANNT'TAM ani CHURNAM These are wild fruits which are available from hillside trees only during March, April and May. Local vendors can be seen sitting at a "Tintto," by roadsides in towns and in market places selling these to Goans as well as tourists. The best thing is to take a trip to a hill, pluck the fruits yourself and eat them fresh. There is more charm in this than buying readily available fruits in the market. This is where you learn how difficult it is to collect fruit while experiencing a few thorn pinches/scratches and red ant bites. But in the end, it is worth it. During my childhood, we went on "kannt'tam ani churnam" trips on our hill on Sundays. As soon as we got to the top of the hill, we would start looking for "churnam" trees and the moment we saw one we ran to it. Whoever got to it first, placed his/her "xintari" on it, bent it and began plucking "churnam." We mostly found "kannt'tam" next/under the "churnam" trees. Most of the boys and girls would pick and eat these fruits on the spot leaving nothing to take home. As for me, I would just go on picking and collecting and at the end of the trip I would have my bags quite full. I then ate them on my way down the hill and was left with plenty more in my bags to share with my family and our visiting guests. I still like to pick these fruits from trees and eat them fresh. Last year, the crop was over before I got home in late April, but I managed to pluck and eat quite a few on the hills of Morjim, Arambol, Querim and Tiracol. 4) "PODDKOVAM" These are little red button like wild fruits available on hills. They grow in small bunches on bushy trees mostly found on the edges of slants and gutters. They are quite sweet but not much juicy. Our parents and elderly people scared us by telling that a cobra always lived by these trees and also that they ate these fruits. The idea was to frighten us so that we didn't eat these fruits. But, you must keep in mind that children always like to try the forbidden. So, whenever we went on the hill for "kannt'tam & churnam," we picked "poddkovam" and ate them; at least I never came across any snake by the trees. I still love to eat "poddkovam." When on vacation, I go to the hills and 'hunt' for "poddkovam" and I don't return home until I have had some! That's all for now from Dom's antique shelf! Moi-mogan. (ENDS) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The writer is known for his nostalgic recollections of the Goa of yesteryears, put out regularly by him on Goanet. GOANET READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share quality Goa-related writing among the growing readership of Goanet and it's allied network of mailing lists. If you appreciate the above article, please send in your feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from those who appreciate their work. Goanet Reader too welcomes your feedback at [EMAIL PROTECTED] GoanetReader is edited by Frederick Noronha
