Nothing aam about it By Maithili Bisne : Every season brings with it a bounty of gifts from Nature. Summer no matter how excruciating it may be in this part of the world too has reasons to make people long for its arrival. And when one says summer and gift in one sentence arguably the word soon to follow is mango. Every time around summer I feel there is a hysteria around this fruit. There are seasonal fruits aplenty but none enjoy a frenzy quite like the mango. As soon as flowers sprout of a mango tree in any courtyard it becomes the place that invites the most gazing eyes in that locality. Along with the house owner the entire colony begins to keep a watch on the gradual maturation. When tiny fruits emerge on the verdant canvass it is sheer joy to the eyes. If the winds and unseasonal rains make the fruits drop to the ground like bullets or a troop of monkeys comes to plunder or the birds peck away into the flesh of the fruit... all acts invite scorn of blasphemous levels. The fist-sized raw mangoes hanging from countless branches make for a drool-worthy sight. And when finally ready to be plucked an air of anticipation grips the neighbourhood. Soon the heap of freshly plucked green mangoes begins to grow taller. And then begins the Mango Diplomacy. In bags and cartons or just wrapped in old newspaper parcels start reaching many homes. The tangy treats are welcomed with sweet smiles and the benefactor thanked generously. As if encountered with a sudden stroke of good luck kitchens then face quite a pickle deciding on which delicacies should be made. Mango mania prevails over the next few days with the fruit arriving on the dinning table in varied forms. As for the ripe mango it is a different story altogether. Either from the tree in your locality or from an orchard somewhere in Ratnagiri there is a reason behind this fruits coronation. From flaming yellow to soothing saffron with different flavours and scents the allure of this summer specialty is something else. But what makes the mango so special? There are other seasonal offerings too some much more exotic. What makes the mango click with its connoisseurs then? Is the attraction because of limited supply or the regional exclusivity? I say it is better to dump the debate and enjoy a pulpy one...little joys of the aam aadmi. n

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