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Summer delights

Of delicious aamras and jasmine-scented evenings of togetherness with family and friends

OPTIONS The mango goes into a number of cool desserts

Bright sunny days that get a bit too bright for comfort, sweltering heat, parched throats — reasons enough to egg you on an indulgent spree.

Summer in Mangalore is a season of plenty. Plenty of heat and plenty to counter it with a glass of chilled something. The moist air, laden with drowsiness, also brings with it the sweet scent of jasmine.

It's also that time of the year when people also go party hopping. Weddings, social dos and other get-togethers span the entire season when relatives and friends come home for the summer vacation.

One needs to just look at public halls like Sanghaniketan and Sujir C.V Nayak Hall, which are booked much in advance to host these special occasions. These halls are the venues for over 75 parties between March and May.

Jasmine, marigold and roses bloom right through the hot months. However, the air is thick with the scent of two local varieties of jasmine that blossom in the Mangalore summer, the Kasturi and the Generi. These two flowers find place everywhere — in party and wedding decorations, adorning women's hair and on photos and idols of gods.

Santosh Pai, a flower dealer at the market on Car Street, says: "Though flowers are always in demand, the peak is during summer when prices really hit a high . ". His team of floral arrangers and decorators create designs to die for and which are quite the pride and beauty of many an occasion.

Summers are also synonymous with mangoes. Mango delicacies are a large part of the menu during summer. One is treated to sumptuous mango delights ranging from the simple mango juice and mango milkshake to curries and other savoury delights.

No social do is complete without at least one mango preparation. Sujatha Prabhu of Nandini Caterers says: "Aamras, fruit cocktail (a dessert made mainly of mango pulp), mango juice, mango upkari (a kind of curry) and mango sasama (a sweet-sour dish made of cooked ripe mangoes) are the popular delicacies of Mangalore during summer. They top the menu of each and every catering order we receive for parties ."

AMRITA NAYAK

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