Folks, it's that time of the year, when the tamarind trees across town are flush with little yellow/pink/peach delicate flowers. These pretty flowers and the eternal vision of each one of them turning into plump mouth-watering "Hunshihannus" has revived memories of "Jigli"
Well, jigli turned the tastiest when the ingredients were literally stolen from the kitchen and ground on some hastily cleaned up stone in the compound. Hygiene was the last thought on our minds then! What was most important was, to get done with the jigli-making and clear up the spot of all traces...!
By the time we were done with the messy mechanics of jigali-making, there would be more drooling faces ready, in line for that measly amount of jigli that we'd eventually manage to produce... (Literally scrape off the stone !) Word sure spread around fast, especially if it was concerning a certain tantalizinly sticky stuff called jigali!
And, not to forget the sticks that someone would conjure up for the jigli to be fixed on to. If I'm not wrong, sometimes the sticks were even sourced from brooms!
And then folks, for the next few hours it was sheer bliss, licking on the sweet-sour-spicy glorious jigli and smacking our lips in utter contentment...
It's quite some time since kids have kinda stopped coveting these treasures and stopped aiming stones at these tamarinds! Can't blame them though. There's hardly a proper tamarind tree in sight and plus where do they have the time to take off from their school, studies, tuitions and those mind boggling array of "Classes" that they attend, for trivial stuff like this? And the other point being that they don't even have anyone to observe for inspiration! I could ask myself the same question, When was the last time I collected tamarinds and made jigali...?
Well, could today's consumer world be far behind in cashing on this phenomenon?When the far-reaching ravenous tentacles of the packaged-food industry have reached remote villages, could Dharwad be left far behind... I have seen pre-packaged jigali, complete with a stick to hold on to like a jigali lollipop!! And hold your breath, it even comes in tiny bubble packs for a one or two-lick experience! And then you actually have a variety of hard boiled confectionery that try hard to mimic the inimitable jigali flavour! As a kid, my daughter Joanna, had brought home these new fangled concoctions, but the fancy lasted for but a very short while. Well, how could it survive sans the whole fun and adventure of jigali-making... And by the way, call me old fashioned or whatever, I have not dared to taste these pre-packaged jigalis, and I will not...!
By the time we were done with the messy mechanics of jigali-making, there would be more drooling faces ready, in line for that measly amount of jigli that we'd eventually manage to produce... (Literally scrape off the stone !) Word sure spread around fast, especially if it was concerning a certain tantalizinly sticky stuff called jigali!
And, not to forget the sticks that someone would conjure up for the jigli to be fixed on to. If I'm not wrong, sometimes the sticks were even sourced from brooms!
And then folks, for the next few hours it was sheer bliss, licking on the sweet-sour-spicy glorious jigli and smacking our lips in utter contentment...
It's quite some time since kids have kinda stopped coveting these treasures and stopped aiming stones at these tamarinds! Can't blame them though. There's hardly a proper tamarind tree in sight and plus where do they have the time to take off from their school, studies, tuitions and those mind boggling array of "Classes" that they attend, for trivial stuff like this? And the other point being that they don't even have anyone to observe for inspiration! I could ask myself the same question, When was the last time I collected tamarinds and made jigali...?
Well, could today's consumer world be far behind in cashing on this phenomenon?When the far-reaching ravenous tentacles of the packaged-food industry have reached remote villages, could Dharwad be left far behind... I have seen pre-packaged jigali, complete with a stick to hold on to like a jigali lollipop!! And hold your breath, it even comes in tiny bubble packs for a one or two-lick experience! And then you actually have a variety of hard boiled confectionery that try hard to mimic the inimitable jigali flavour! As a kid, my daughter Joanna, had brought home these new fangled concoctions, but the fancy lasted for but a very short while. Well, how could it survive sans the whole fun and adventure of jigali-making... And by the way, call me old fashioned or whatever, I have not dared to taste these pre-packaged jigalis, and I will not...!
What a lovely picture these tamarind flowers make...
Come spring and the tamarind trees are full of tender,
almost fluorescent green leaves...
And now in May, the delicate green leaves have turned thicker and coarser and taken on a darker shade of olive/sap green.
The trees are filled with tender young tamarinds sporting a dark green-brown colour. These scythe-like "Nagarkattas" are jostling for space as they dangle temptingly at the tips of the myriad branches.
If the tart flavour of the plump brown pulpy ripe tamarind is irresistible, the nagarkattas have a distinct sour taste with a teeny weeny dash of that strangely bland taste that belongs to raw fruit... I have memories of me and my friends collecting loads of these young tamarinds in our hands/pockets/skirts and sitting on the wet grass below the gargantuan tamarind trees in my Granny's back yard and eating away to glory...
Sadly the entire tamarind grove, with trees that today, would easily have celebrated their centenary year, has been razed down and in their place stand concrete blocks called homes...
The trees are filled with tender young tamarinds sporting a dark green-brown colour. These scythe-like "Nagarkattas" are jostling for space as they dangle temptingly at the tips of the myriad branches.
If the tart flavour of the plump brown pulpy ripe tamarind is irresistible, the nagarkattas have a distinct sour taste with a teeny weeny dash of that strangely bland taste that belongs to raw fruit... I have memories of me and my friends collecting loads of these young tamarinds in our hands/pockets/skirts and sitting on the wet grass below the gargantuan tamarind trees in my Granny's back yard and eating away to glory...
Sadly the entire tamarind grove, with trees that today, would easily have celebrated their centenary year, has been razed down and in their place stand concrete blocks called homes...
I am deeply pained to note the razing of all those lovely tamarind trees. I have so many wonderful memories associated with it. I remember your granny and Uma teacher taking us there for our walks during school hours. I also vaguely recall burying a deadcrow somewhere near those trees. One of the trees would yield sweet tamarinds ( less tangy. I have been struck several times by the stone missiles aimed at the tamarinds. Still have a scar at the back of my head. For a child who was heavily into spirits, life after death et al would silently get spooked every time I passed by those trees.
ReplyDeleteEspecially that stretch where the hostel boundary ends is where I would get ready to make the sprint with my eyes closed.
Now with the razing of the trees a wonderful part of my childhood too has gone away with the winds. Mission compound for me was a very special place. Uma teacher and Granny were my first teachers. The Rubdi residence also had an old fashioned English like charm..The run up to X'mas and the celebrations are etched in my memory. How I wish I could go back in time..