Every summer, we look forward to having the most luscious mangoes — juicy, sweet and incredibly fragrant. And India, by far has the best and most varieties of this king of fruits. But, I have to tell you that this season has been utterly disappointing. Most mangoes I bought looked great but had a slight bitter taste to them. It was only towards the end of season that I managed to eat some really good ones. Mangoes from Gurdev’s aunt’s village and my mil’s house were the best and sweetest we ate. The reason we learnt is that most people are using dangerous chemicals to ripen mangoes artificially. Some use calcium carbide, a carcinogen and a toxic substance, to ripen mangoes including the government promoted HOPKOMS outlets. This is really sad because not only are they harming our health, but it is a pointless exercise because they are killing the taste of the fruit and thus reducing demand.
Apparently, such practices are in use in India pretty commonly with fruit traders waxing fruits for shine and using ripening agents to prematurely ripen fruits. The government must try to crack down on such practices. But, as consumers beware while shopping. Also, it is advisable to remove peels of fruits wherever possible, immerse fruits in water for sometime to help wash off chemicals, and repeatedly wash them in warm or salty water. This is advisable even for green vegetables or veggies used for salads. It is better to be safe than sorry. Instead of getting nutrition from fruits and vegetables, we certainly don’t want to end up in hospitals, do we?
Pic courtesy: Arvind Balaraman/Free Digital Photos.net
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