Explore exotic fruits, delicacies at fruits mela

One can definitely expect the unmistakably sweet, wafting aroma of freshly, ripened jackfruits - proud produce of the coastal belt - at the two-day Fruits and Jackfruit Mela 2019, organised jointly by Horticultural Department and Dr Shivaram Karanth Nisargadhama, Pilikula.

The mela was inaugurated on Saturday at Pilikula. There is a medley of colours and aromas on every stall’s table.

Wild jacks, breadfruit, raw jacks, ripe jacks, jackfruit seeds, jacks in brines, mangoes, raw mangoes, mangoes in brine, you name it and it is there!

Visitors can get to see the exotic Gac Fruit, selling at Rs 230 per kg, a beautiful, bright, orange-red medicinal fruit originating from South East Asia that mimics the colours of a sunset.

If jacks aren’t your go-to fruit, then you can always turn to the delicious rambutans, mangoes, pineapples, passion fruit, Coorg oranges and watermelons that are also sold among several other fruits.

Spoilt for choice

If you’re in the mood for ice cream, then you are spoilt for choice.

Homemade mango, Kaju-Badam, jackfruit and chickoo ice creams, tender coconut ice candies and other non-conventional flavours, like Birdseye Chilli (Gandhari Menasu) and arecanut ice creams are a few of the options to choose from.

Srihari of Puttur-based Amrita Savayava said, “We make all the ice creams without preservatives and colours. They are all natural flavours made without any artificial essence.”

Sumptuous savouries

If you are a spice lover and eating savoury foods is your favourite pass-time, then you don’t need to look any further.

In the myriad of stalls, several traditional delicacies, such as Mulka, Chattambade made with jackfruit seeds, mango chutney, jackfruit kabab, famed Konkani dishes such as Ambe-Upkari and Gharu, and packaged fritters and chips of various kinds, several different pickles, Colacassia leaves (Pathrode leaves), traditional Madikeri sour fruit Palanpuli, ready-to-fry fritters like Happala and Sandige were also on sale.

Ganesh Prabhu, the owner of Shreya Home Products, said, “All fritters and chips are homemade. The fruits we sell, the wild jacks and Lakshmanphala, are all homegrown in our compound in Mulki”.

Sweet items galore

If this is not enough to fill your bags, then you can buy jackfruit halwa, masalas, seeds, saplings, bags, clothes and traditional medicines and hair oils among a multitude of other knick-knacks.

The display fruits is also a feast to the eyes with exotic Malayan/Water apples, Velvet Apples, Kafir Limes, Malabar Chestnuts (African Pista), Mangosteens, Grape guavas and Banana sapota. “Mangosteens are the most expensive and sold for Rs 300- Rs 600 per kg”, Ravishankar Bhat, a seller said.

Marvelous mangoes

A variety of mangoes, like Banganapalle, Mallika, Alphonsa, Dasheri, Raspuri, Sindhooram, Malgova, Thotapuri, Badami, Amrapali, Kadugai, Appemidi, are on sale.

A World Cup trophy replica made of using Moosambi, pomegranate, mango, jackfruit and pineapple is a centre of attraction. The welcome arch made using jackfruit, watermelon, pineapple and papaya is eye-catching.

Disappointed

People, who had thronged the venue, to get a taste of much in demand jackfruit varieties of Chandra, Bangara, Kempu Rudrakshi and Ekadashi of Doddaballapur were disappointed.

The consumers had to be satisfied with the local varieties, including a gumless variety of jackfruit.

Bamboo rice

K P Bhat, the proprietor of Kudilinga Grameena Naturals, was seen selling bamboo rice at the venue.

He said there is no stock of bamboo rice in Karnataka and he procures it from Madhya Pradesh. The demand for bamboo rice is on the rise, he added.

The bamboo rice fetches Rs 600 per kg.

Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian inaugurated the fair. Progressive farmer Chandrashekar Chowta, Former MLA J R Lobo, DK Indian Red Cross Society President C A Shantharam, MRPL General Manager U V Aithal and others were present.