Summers in Bengaluru are synonymous with mangoes as much as ice apples, called ‘tati nungu’ locally. From Banashankari to Malleswaram, vendors can be seen selling the refreshing fruit that looks like litchi and tastes like tender coconut.
Despite the onslaught of online delivery, the vendors say their sales have been brisk this year. Madhayan, who sells a variety of fruits in Sarakki, said, “Nungu needs to be eaten fresh, that’s why the majority of people don’t order via Zepto or Dunzo much. My customers come from the neighbourhood and beyond. Occasionally, I go and deliver nungu to them.”
Madhayan makes about Rs 2,000 a day by selling the ice apple, which is a fruit of the palmyra palm tree. “Most customers buy five pieces. It costs Rs 200. Each nungu has three pieces inside it,” he shared.
The ice apple business takes off in Bengaluru in mid-April and stays till mid-June. The stocks come in from Salem, Dharmapuri, Edapaadi, and other locations in Tamil Nadu. G Murugan, a vendor in Jayanagar, said, “I receive my stock at 5 am and set up my stall by 9 am. I bring about 100 to 150 pieces daily to the market and they are sold out by 5 pm. I am making Rs 5,000 every day. It’s profitable at the moment.”
“Bengalureans are more than happy to buy nungu because it comes once a year,” says Kannaga, a vendor at Banashankari.
The fruit is sought after in hot months because of its high water content. Radhika Karthik, a customer at a nungu stall in JP Nagar, says it cools down the body.
In some families, the ice apple is a delicacy. “I have happy memories of my mother making us puddings and milkshakes with ice apples,” says Riya Singh, another customer at the same stand.
But the rain forecast is a cause for worry. Manjunath, an ice apple vendor in JP Nagar, says since people aren’t coming outside or stopping by, their stock is getting wasted. They can’t sell old stock. “However, the unused ice apples are used as fertilisers,” he says.