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Berry berry good

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Seasonal fruit Jamuns

Though compared to other fruits, the glistening dark purple-coloured jamun might not be at the top of our list of preferred fruits, it surely is the one worth one’s liking. The juicy berry, also referred to as jambul or Indian blackberry, first grows oblong, ovoid and green, then turns pink when nearing maturity, and finally shining crimson black when fully ripe. The jamun has various healthful properties, not only in the fruit, but the seed too. It is used in various alternative healing systems. Jambolan or jamun vinegar, extensively made throughout India, may be administered in cases of enlarged spleen, chronic diarrhoea and urine retention. The juice of the fruit, diluted with water, is used as a gargle for sore throat and as a lotion for ringworm of the scalp. Jamun is also dried with salt and preserved as a digestive powder. The essential oil distilled from jamun leaves is used to scent soap and is blended with other materials to make inexpensive perfume.

The unripe fruit, mostly in Goa and parts of The Philippines, is an important source of a sweet wine, somewhat like the Port.

And the distilled liquors, brandy and ‘jambava’ have also been made from the fermented fruit. The twigs form a good datoon (tooth brush) besides being used as a rough painting brush for lettering addresses on gunny packs while ferrying them from one place to another.

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