Fruits in Konkan
Konkan is popular for beaches, seafood and fruits. Konkan is compared with California due to rich and versatile fruit availability. Here’s the list of fruits grown in konkan that will please your taste taste buds apart from malvani cuisine.
Alphonso Mango or Haapus
Hapus Aamba
Mango is king of all fruits. Different types of Mangoes are popular in country and world. But the best quality Haapus popular worldwide grows in konkan. This fruit has demand from throughout country and international level. Mango is sweet in taste. Raw mango is used to make pickles.
Aam Panna is an appetizer drink made from raw mangos in summer to beat heat. Mango is available in season of March to June. Price of Haapus mango varies from rs. 400/- to rs. 1400/- per dozen.
Cashew
When cashew is mentioned, white dry fruit comes to our mind. But cashew is not all that. Cashew seed grows outside fruit, attached to bottom of cashew apple. Cashew is known as Kaju in konkan. Cashew is a seasonal fruit in konkan. Cashew apple is juicy and rich in iron. Cashew seeds are dried under sun and roasted in hot sand. This roasted seeds are break opened to get cashew we use as dry fruit for our daily use. Due to high price and demand of cashew, cashew trees are cash crops for people in konkan. Cashew sprouts are cooked in spices to prepare dish.
Jackfruit
Jackfruit is a seasonal fruit in konkan. It has a thorn like steam on the skin but has a soft fleshy seed inside which is eaten raw.
Jackfruit seeds are also dried and fried before eating. It tastes good.
Jamun
Jamun or Black plum. Jamun trees are very common in konkan region. Jamun is called as Jambhul in konkan. Jamun is a seasonal fruit available from February to May every year. Jamuns are dark violet in color size and shape much similar to black grapes but has big seed inside. Jamun seeds has medical usage. Jamun seeds powder is used in Herbal tea to control blood sugar level for diabetes patients.
Conker berry
conker berry or simply Karvanda. It looks much similar to cranberry. It’s one of the wild fruist in konkan region especially on hillside parts. Conker berry is seasonal fruit. It grows during April to June. This sweet and sour juicy fruit is round shaped dark skinned with red juicy flesh inside. It tastes better with some sea salt sprinkled on it. Raw conkerberrys are used in pickles.
Torana
Torana is a seasonal wild fruit that grows in hill areas and wild parts of konkan. White and tiny in size, it tastes sweet like sugar. Season of Torana comes before season of Conker berry. This fruit is favorite food of birds. You will often find Toranas bitten by birds on bushes.
Star fruit
Local name for Star fruit is Karmal. Star fruit is another common fruit in konkan, that you may not find in rural areas. Star fruit is commonly available in major parts of Goa. Star fruit is rich in vitamin c. Star fruit is favorite fruit of parrots. Star fruit is used in pickles also.
Water apple
Water apple is known by name Jaam fruit in konkan region. Water apple is a small juicy fruit with 2-3 seeds inside. Its taste is not too sweet. Water apple is juicy and rich in fiber. Water apple is found in 2 colors, red and white.
Banana
Banana is so common fruit in konkan that you may find a banana tree near Hand washing place outside every house in konkan. Bananas are rich source of carbs. You can enjoy naturally ripened bananas on tree in konkan.
Guava
Guava is another fruit in konkan that found most commonly.
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is also known as Neer fanas. It belongs to jackfruit family and looks like miniature version of ripened jackfruit. Breadfruit is cooked with spices and eaten with roti. Breadfruit is a fruit in konkan that has demand during Ganpati Festival.
Coconut
Although coconut is not a fruit, we simply eat like other fruits. Coconut is very commonly cultivated fruits in konkan, especially to coastal side. It is a cash crop for people in konkan. Coconut water here has very different taste than we get from tender coconuts in Mumbai brought from kerala.
Ratambe
This fruit is less known because it is not consumed directly as a fruit. Ratamba is one of the very common but less known fruits in konkan. But known for the product that comes from this fruit is Kokam. Kokam is key ingredient in making Solkadhi and Kokam Sarbat. To make kokam, Ratamba is cut opened, seeds are removed and skin part is marinated with salt. Now ratamba is dried in sunshade and what we get is kokam. Kokam is used in fish curry also. making and selling Kokam is a business for lot of families in konkan.
Supari
Betel Nut is another cash crop that grows in konkan. Betel nut tree bears fruit all year. Betel nut is used in betel quid, known as Paan.
One More fruit I left to mention is this fruit. This is so rare i have only seen 2 trees of it and both trees exist in my village devbag only. English name for this fruit is not known. Local name for fruit is Pichu. Pichu fruit is rare fruit in Konkan. Pichu tastes sweet and we do not eat skin part.
Pichu seeds are same as chiku seeds, Flesh part resembles custard apple. I asked people if it was hybrid of chiku and any other fruit, but answer was no. they said Pichu tree is more than 100 years old. If you know this fruit and know english name by any chance, please comment down below.
Thank you,
Rohan R.
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