In this multi-part series Miguel Brazanga, who resides in Goa and is involved in a number of volunteer activities with various groups and organizations, shares some of his knowledge of Goa's little known biodiversity. The following is posted with his permission in connection with GOA SUDHAROP's "YEAR OF THE GOAN VOLUNTEER SPIRIT".
Fruit & Nut Diversity in Goa The ancient Indians called it the “Kalpvriksha” or the “Tree of Heaven” because every part of the palm has use as food, fuel, shelter, clothing, medicine, sugar and spirits. The Caribbean song says, “Coconut water contains a lot of iron; makes you strong like a lion”. One of the first books to be printed in the whole of Asia is “Arta Palmarica” published in 1556. It was on coconut cultivation! The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, symbolizes the spirit of Goa. It is the tree that gave Goa its original “feni” till cashew was introduced in the 18th century. It is firmly rooted in the soil, though its supple trunk sways with the winds. Each root may look like a feeble strand but together the roots can withstand winds and waves that can uproot the stout rooted Australian Pine, Casuarina equisitifolia, in a coastal strip. The coconut palm bends with the tempest, but springs back to its original position once the inclement weather has passed by. Contrary to the scare, Mary C. Enig, Ph. D, wrote “Coconuts play a unique role in the diets of mankind because they are a source of important physiologically functional components. These are found in the ‘fat’ part of the coconut and in the coconut oil.” These include “anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoal functions.” She is emphatic, “Coconut oil does not increase blood cholesterol level or cause atherosclerosis or heart disease.” It also does not contribute to weight problems. Coconut oil is actually credited with reducing the risk of cancer and other degenerative diseases. Many people sincerely believe that mango trees were brought by the Portuguese to Goa and that they spread to the rest of India from here. They did not. In fact, they may have taken mango grafts from India to other places in the world as they did for medicinal plants. Akbar had his “Lakh Bagh” in present day Bihar. History books will tell you that Akbar had died long before the Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in Kerala. What the Portuguese did was to teach us grafting techniques so that we could make clones of good mango trees. The words "Mavin-kai", "Mangai" or "Manga" used in South Indian languages like Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam were adopted by the Portuguese and later Latinized by scientist Linnaeus to give us the Botanical name "Mangifera indica" for the mango tree. The “Aam” of the North became “Amb” of the West and “Mang” of the South. Mango is believed that it originated in Indo-Malayan region and its cultivation started more than 6000 years ago. Forests and gardens of mango have been mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata also. It is grown in all tropical countries. In India, mango occupies more than 80,000 hectares area and major growing states are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu. India accounts for nearly 80% of the world production of mango but exports only a small quantity. Avocado fruits are grown in Goa. Spanish Conquistadores first reported that avocados were grown from Mexico to the Andean region as far as Peru and Venezuela. The Aztecs used the avocado as a sex stimulant. The Aztec name, ahuacatl, [meaning "testicle,"] because of the fruit’s shape. The Spanish called the aguacate, and that gave rise to the name guacamole that is used even today. That is the testimony on the net at the link http://whatscookingamerica.net/avacado.htm. To be continued ...
