COUNTRY FLAVOURS AND CHILDHOOD JOYS !

By K Guliyo

( Special Thanks to Mr Ganesh Mani Pradhan - for the nomenclature of items included in this humble pageantry - and for providing some vibrant pictures )

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Before they fade into the sunset of time, these hill flavours deserve a look.

They were, after all, the maids of titillation. They were pursued over hills and valleys. The connoisseurs who gathered them were often barefooted, with a sickle ( hasiya ) tucked in the patuka, and a doko behind the back. The hill countryside was where these flavours thrived.

Enter the first diva - the buxom, juicy ASELO. { AISELU, RASPBERRY , Rubus ellipticus } Gathering them together and stuffing a big handful into the mouth was pure joy ! Searching for the yellow beauties through prickly gaps in the leaves was such fun. Picnics in remote countryside ( like Delo of old ) were much brighter with Aselo bushes around.

A passionate tryst with KIMBU { MULBERRY, Morus species } could never be kept a secret. The devouring was often done sitting on the branches of the tree. A happy culprit would have his tongue and fingers coloured magenta-black with the juice. Happy too, would be the kids, when out came the dark Mulberry Jam to sweeten dull rotis.

Even passing near a TUM TUM tree {RUKH RAMBERA, Cyphomandra betacea } used to make our teeth tangy. Roasted over embers and crushed with fresh chillies the achaar had a peculiar sour taste which brightened drab meals. Hyperactive boys preferred to suck the raw entrails from a hole made at the tip of this egg shaped fruit.

Huge CHERRY trees { PAYOONG, Prunus cerasoides } were shaken at night, but not by ghosts. Giant chameras ( flying foxes, bats ) rustled and bobbed the branches up and down as they hogged the ripe cherries. Hungry foxes, ate the ones on the ground. The naughty foxes excreted big mounds of cherry seeds at very visible places. And naughty boys after sucking out the thin bittersweet outer shell, competed who could spit the seeds the farthest.

The pigs will die ! Don't ever give TIMBUR to the pigs ! This was what my wrinkled Granny used to say. { Bokay Timboor, Zanthozylum armatum } This fatal power made the Timbur all the more exotic. Our sons and grandsons will never find out the pungent, peculiar essence of Timbur ko achaar. By the time a digital App comes with a virtual scent, the Timbur will have disappeared !

Oh love of my life ! I miss your shiny violet shell ! I crave for your enchanting seedy flavour ! I last saw you embracing a bamboo gate at 12 1/2, Mile. You were drooping with your luscious produce. Where are you now, dear GARENDALE ? {Passiflora edulis}

Faces puckered as the famously sour LAPSI ko achaar was relished. Planting a Lapsi tree near a homestead was, supposedly, inauspicious. But with Lapsi candies in full commercial bloom nowadays, the Lapsi {Choerospondias axillaris } is very much here to stay. A catapult ( kyatees ) was useless in bringing down Lapsis from the tree. What was needed was a jhataro.

Should we not clap for those coming second, or third ? Your Majesty King Dalley, please move over, for here comes AAKASHEY and JEERAY. These chillies were hot, hot, hot. The Aakashey khorsani had its tip pointed vertically to the aakash. These plants were found near chicken cages, because they thrived on chicken poop ( kookhra ko suli ). Jeeray was hardly 1 cm long and any 'na pathyouney maanchhey' would soon be gasping and lolling ! A 'chhuchi' girl was called Jeeray !

गोठाला बाजे with his daura sleeves rolled up, made a soothing, whining sound as he moved a large wooden piston up and down a massive 'bhalu baasko ko dhungro'. He was churning milk. Soon there would be Dahi (curd) and yellowish Gheu (butter) of the purest of pure kind. We waited and slurped on the Mahi ( buttermilk ) served in big, dented aluminium mugs. We laughed as we pointed out the white moustaches on each other's upper lips. A favourite was the cooked Mahi, called SOLDAR.

JYAMBEERs were long oval lemons, which when cut, gave off a pungent aroma. { Citrus jambhiri } When squeezed over steaming basti ko chamal ko bhaat / dhaan ko bhaat, finishing off chuli chuli bhaat was no problem specially if there was the dark brown MASHYAAM KO DAL.

Not everyone could cope with the scent of the SIMRAYO. { Watercress, Nasturtium officinal } This verdant beauty adorned shallow stream waters. As a side dish it was a showpiece in the menu. We had fun with people when we whispered into their ears that we had seen a boy pissing in the stream (kholcha) from where the Simrayo he was eating had been picked !

NAKIMA { Tupestra nutans } was so much treasured that when a portion landed in the house, close appreciative people were invited for a meal. Its peculiar taste was adored by a wide fan club. KAABRA not frequently found, was sought as an achaar by a band of faithful followers.

In the spectrum of dry achaars SILAAM { Perilla frutescens } and FILINGAY take prominent place because of their unique essence. They have a secure berth in this nostalgic parade.

Coiled elephant trunks ? Yes ! As a child the NINGRO's shape fascinated me. These FERNS were of many types, and were collected with much difficulty from steep terrains.
It was only much later I started liking the fleshy fried vegetables.

SISNOO {STINGING NETTLE, Urtica dioica } was found around homes of unlucky boys who had big blebs, urticaria, on their shins as a punishment doled out by angry mothers. There was a big Jhyaang of this formidable plant, near our house. (Sorry, no confessions !). A chimta was needed to pluck this delicacy for making Tihoon.

One Participant who is perhaps extinct, is the PAHA, a slender, gangly, green frog. They were found in the waters of the rice fields (dhaan ko khet). When caught they were strung in bamboo strips ( choya ) like a garland. It was a choice tidbit valued by the 'bura paka' of old.

These flavours and tastes form a colourful part of our social and personal memories.

Here's hoping that this is not the draft of an epitaph of what once was in the hills.

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