----- Original Message ----- From: "Eddie Fernandes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Jorge/Livia de Abreu Noronha" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Goa-Net" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 10:34 PM Subject: Re: [Goanet] Re: TIMES: Balcony View
> Folks, here are my attempt to resolve some of the issues in the ongoing > discussion: > > 1. Jorge/Livia de Abreu Noronha writes: > > >The correct term is "mal corada" = "poorly coloured" > >or "ill coloured" and nobody now seems to know > >why such a name was given to it, as both inside > >and outside its colour is good. > > In the West, great emphasis in placed on the external appearance of food > and the preferred colour for the mango is red. Asian mangoes are yellow and > are therefore not stocked by the mainstream Supermarkets. They are sold by > ethnic outlets as Asians are known to prefer yellow mangoes. The Portuguese > named this variety on the basis of what they conceived to be an imperfect > colour. Poor souls! Good that they are not competing with us for our > mangos and pushing prices up. Good job too that someone changed the name to > Mankurad - bad colour indeed! Sorry to say that "Mankurad" does not mean "bad colour". "Malcorada" does. The most that "Mankurad" can mean is "Mangkurad" (Konkani corruption of the Portuguese "manga curada") i.e. "Cured Mango", which is most unlikely. Prior to 1961, Konkani speaking people always referred to it as "malcurad" and I never remember hearing "mankurad". Just as the name Miguel has now turned into Minguel and so many other deturpations of Portuguese words which used to sound so musical although konkanised. Well, in Portuguese we say "Os olhos tamb�m comem" (literraly, "the eyes also eat") and we know that eatables have to be attractive. That is why the appearance of the smallest chilly led the Portuguese man to eat it and then curse his day with an expression that gave the name to that chilly and that is indeed a swearing word in Portuguese. Just to clear that idea that the Portuguese are not the "poor souls" referred to sometimes by those to whom the grapes - or is it mangoes in this case - may taste sour, let me cite the following: "Mango diplomacy is something unheard of in India. But the documents in Goa archives tell a different story. Renowned Indo-Portuguese historian Pandurang Pissurlenkar has reported that during 16-17 th century alfonso mangoes were sent to Delhi for obtaining the favours of the Moghul emperors and their influential nawabs. The Bhonsules of Sawantwadi were also engaged in such mango diplomacy. The Portuguese governors in Goa used to send baskets of Goan Alfonso and Fernandin mangoes to the Peshwas of Pune. Portuguese diplomat at Pune, Vithalrao Valaulikar wrote in 1792 to the governor in Goa to ban all private trade in mangoes from Goa to Deccan markets so as to increase the novelty and value of Goan mango varieties. "The Portuguese introduced a system of special permits for private traders to export prized varieties of mangoes from Goa." (In "A Treasure Trove of Goan Mango Dishes" by Nilima M. Kamat). Want some more? "A British traveller Dr. John Fryer (1673), East India Company surgeon, praises the mango varieties found in Goa. Captain Alexander Hamilton (1727) wrote 'The Goa mango is reckoned the largest and most delicious to the taste of any in the world and the wholesomest and best tasted of any fruit in the world'.The French doctor Bernier (1765) after tasting the mango jam/jelly wrote 'there is no more delicious jam or jelly in the world'" (Ibidem). And what is mango jam/jelly if not our "mangada" and "geleia" or "mangad ani gelei"? The above book has a small introductory note by Dr. Nandkumar Kamat. Livia =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
