Which fruit in India is underrated?

There are many fruits in India which are limited to a particular region and hence lesser known in the rest of the country. Even “underrated” would be an understatement.

Wild mango varieties

India has countless varities of mangoes. Come April and the famous Hapus or Alphonso mangoes arrive in the market. Summers are filled with the famous, delicious, beautiful varieties like Badam, Dussehri, and Kesar to name a few. But many Indian states have their own local varieties of wild mangoes. They may not be great to look at, may not even turn yellow when ripe, they may have lesser pulp and bigger seeds than the commercial varieties. But they must essentially been a part of childhood memories for many. Notice how the kid in the photo is sucking one? That’s how they’re meant to be eaten. Rip off some skin at the top to make a hole and just suck the juice and pulp out. When done, peel off the skin and suck on the kernel till dry. Repeat with next mango. These are also ideal for making mango pickles when raw, and the tasty aampanna which is a lifesaver from the killer loo (hot winds, not toilets) of North India. And yet, these wonderful fruits aren’t cultivated. They grow from kernels thrown away. But gradually with the shortage of space, cultivation of commercial varieties of fruits and other factors, wild mangoes are actually declining and need to be saved before they become extinct.

Phalsa

It grows in shrubs, like mulberry, and is found in summers when the green raw berries keep ripening overnight to provide a daily supply of handful of sweet sour berries. Apparently, the phalsa juice, the stem, the leaves, the buds have medicinal properties. Again, they’re sort of wild fruits and rarely make it to the marketplace.

Monkey fruit or Dahu

Yet another wild fruit which is believed to have health benefits and medicinal properties by locals who know and consume it. It has a sweet and sour taste.

Keond

Locally found in Jharkhand, Orissa and some other states, this sweet tasting fruit belongs to the tendu tree whose leaves are used to make bidi. When the keond fruit ripens, it turns orange-brown and its skin turns hard. Inside, it is like the chikoo fruit (soft flesh with few big seeds in the middle).

Gular or Indian Fig

Maybe not as underrated or unknown as some other fruits mentioned here, but it sure doesn’t feature in supermarkets amongst the imported apples. Though the gular does find mention in Hindu (Atharva Veda) and Buddhist texts, its leaves are supposedly used in havans.

Piar pithor or Chironji or Indian blue berries

The seeds are a well known spice used in Indian dishes. But the fruits of this tree are also consumed when ripe.

Pithor or Black-Honey Shrub, black-berried featherfoil, potato-bush, netted-leaved leaf-flower

Yet another wild shrub with very limited presence. The fruits are consumed when ripe. Its leaves are consumed as a diuretic, and to treat bleeding gums and diarrhoea in infants.

Ber or Jujube

There are 2 varieties of ber commonly found in India. One is smaller, rounder and turns red when ripe, with a soft pulp. The other is elongated, turns yellow green when ripe and has a crunchier pulp. Dried ber is also powdered and consumed.

Bel or Bengal Quince or Golden Apple or Japanese bitter Orange or Stone Apple or Wood Apple

Fruit can simply be eaten when ripe, or made into a juice or dried and powdered to use as an additive. It has several health benefits like treating constipation, ulcers, and various other digestive disorders. Bel is also mentioned in Hindu and Buddhist texts.

Paniphal singhara or water caltrop or buffalo nut

The plant grows in water and the fruits can be eaten directly when ripe, or made into flour. Unfortunately, the water caltrop plant is apparently getting rare and may be on the verge of extinction. Even if not, the fruits are found in limited places in India and are seasonal.

Image source: multiple websites

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