On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 2:02 PM, Perry E. Metzger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> [1] My favourite are the red ones -- any idea what they're called?

chevazhai? or is it the malai pazham (but that is green->yellow, not red, afaik)


> I've also very little experience with "real" mangoes -- the ones sold
> here are mostly notable for their durability, which is similar to that

hmm... strange you say that, coz even as a kid i've heard the street
vendors complain that the best produce goes to the lucrative export
market.


> of automobile bumpers. Unfortunately, they're also about as flavorful
> as automobile bumpers.

yeah, was impressed the first time I walked down the aisle in an
American supermarket. The perfect veg/fruits sure as hell did look
good on display, had perfect colour, no bruises, not rotten....,
happily lugged it all back until i experienced the agony of eating the
tasteless produce...... Exchanging flavour for durability didnt taste
good at all.

Closer home, the local tomato variety i get in bangalore (do they call
it "naati" here?), used to be available in a jumbo size in bombay
(sourced from bangalore according to the sabzi-wallah) oh-so-many eons
ago, but today only the fleshy hybrid is sold there, which is utterly
tasteless imo.


> South Asian friends of mine in New York
> regularly get this distant, misty look in their eyes when they start
> telling me about how much better mangoes are in India...

Less than a month ago, haapus from bombay tasted different (less
sweet, less everything...) than yesteryears.... and this for a variety
that you can tell by its smell. Just touching the fruit would leave
that nice fruity fragrance on the palms....Not so today. The ones i
bought in Blr had that old taste i like.
..... but the biggest difference -- I dont get to scream "keeda" on
sighting a dead one in the fruits nowadays :-/

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