Yesterday Deepa and I decided to go in for an overdue visit to the beauty parlor located in the fifth floor of Big Bazaar close to our home. However we reached a wee bit early as the bazaar is scheduled to open at 10 A.M. We were one of the first customers and the parlor wasn’t open yet. So we decided to hang around the vegetable segment of the bazaar until the time, the parlor was ready for customers. Now you know WOMEN, we never hang around when we have cash. We BUY and in the process I spotted The Wood Apple in the fruit section. It struck me that I had eaten something similar in my teen years and that pressed me to try it again. The label said Rs 6 for an apple and I bought two. Now Deepa was curious and she asked me if I had tasted it before. I told her that I vaguely remember my Dad getting this fruit for me when I was young and the taste resembled that of a pear in my mind. She took my word for it and reluctantly picked one. After shopping, we headed to the parlor and spent two hours of indulgence.
That night after dinner I stared at the wood apple longingly imagining something promising inside. For the ignorant, (that includes me) wood Apple is a whitish spherical fruit, will a hard woody pericarp and aromatic (offensive will be my term) pulp. Breaking the shell is HARD and I begged my mom to do it for me. She used a butcher’s knife for breaking it and cursed me as she did. I kept encouraging her as she broke the hard shell and as it broke into two halves, I was surprised to find something unfamiliar in there. It was seeded and as I tasted it, I was speechles (sour, felt like puking). I threw both in the dustbin and as I did that, it struck me that I had hauled deepa into the same boat. I thought it best not to call her and invite reproach and I waited and waited and waited for that CALL. Well, finally the rebuke was in the form of SMS
“ Thx 4 ur valuable advce. Wooody apple was really atrocious :p”
Saji
Uh oh, I called back for details about their experience with woody apple and here it goes “Thank you for the suggestion, Me and my husband have plasters on one of our left hand fingers. The trouble of breaking the filthy shit matched with experience of tasting the same. We will be careful not to take your advice in future”
Well! I was short of words to convince them then…
For some literature about wood apple, check this link http://www.goodhealthnyou.com/hot/teacoffee1.asp?id=1137&aid=62
7 comments:
I fully second Vid's opinion about that yucky thing(dnt want to call it a fruit)..
thanks vidya for giving full details of the so called fruit. next time i can atleast be careful not to try it out.today i went to big bazar and was curious to see the fruit but i couldn't . was there only three wood apples there???????
vidya,
this is called "belada hannu" in kannada. it is a fruit used to makejuice, not to be eaten directly. u have to make juice with the pulp adding water and jaggery. yummy !!!!sometimes if the fruit will be spoiled inside, it will be yucky taste.
Suma you are right. I had to do my homework about the fruit before disposing it.
I remember eating wood apple during my college days and I still remember the weird reaction on my face after eating it. That was the 1st and I'm sure I would not dare to try it again..
You too will never forget this episode!!!
The wood apple is called a Bel in HIndi. Its a wonder fruit and its amazing for the atomach and cooling in summers. Its usuallu great eaten staright out of the shell but is also made into a very cooling sherbet....much better than the lousy fizzy drinks of today. I used to eat the bel as a child and after more than 25 years have come across it this summer.
Hi everybody,
Today i bought 2 bell fruits as it attracted my attention; i never had it before so it was my first experience..
after reading all your comments i was prepared for worst but in my surprise i found that all you need is a coconut knife to break it very easily and the taste is not that bad .. It is sour I agree, but it is also enjoyable.. i think if we mix it with little bit of sugar it will taste nice .. for those who never had it.. Try it , it is something new , weird and good , tastes between spoiled Guava and sitafall:) I liked it .. God knows maybe you will also like it !!!
Cheers !!!!
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