Summer Glory....

Summer.... it is the season of that I enjoy the most...:)

I am telling the truth... I do enjoy summer immensely, of course some days I feel totally worn out because of the heat but other wise it is enjoyable. It is nature's way of disinfecting and rejuvenating the soil and the warmth attracts dark clouds full of rain.

Summer is the season of garden parties, beach side strolls, barbeques and a general holiday feel but also because of the special bounty of nature which woos us with natural drinks, fruits and vegetables guaranteed to save us from the sweltering heat.

I am sure most of you are familiar with summer specials. These are some of the common road side sights all over Tamil Nadu during the summer months.

First on the list is the "Tender Coconut".... promising clean sweet fresh liquid "Ilaneer" which quenches the thirst and it is very cheap. "Ila" means tender or young and "Neer" means water. The flesh of the coconut at this stage is very soft and almost jelly like which can be consumed along with the water.

Usually the coconut vendor scraps the flesh out using a piece of the outer shell after we finish drinking the water. As we all know it is rich in nutrients, minerals and does wonders for our skin tone when consumed on regular basis.

The fruits are borne in the coconut tree which I am sure everyone has seen. The trees are abundant in tropical and subtropical regions. They require abundant sunlight, rainfall and high humidity for its growth. The oldest fossils date back to 55 million years ago and were found in India and Australia. 

I have a a regular stall from where I get tender coconuts nearly everyday during my stay in Coimbatore. The stall owner, Mrs. Lakshmi has become my friend because of my frequent visits to her mobile vehicle. She is usually seen opposite Alvernia School in Trichy road with her "Thallu Vandi / Push Cart". When the summer is over she sells plants.... A self-made business woman.

The technique of chopping open the top part of the tender coconut is an art... yes, it is an art. One miss and then before you know it, your finger is chopped off. Usually an "Veecharival [a special type of knife]" is used for this purpose. It is basically a sword with a reverse curve. The longer versions known as "Thirupatchi Arival" are nearly 5 feet long and is a symbol of Karuppana Swami.

I was fortunate enough to capture the chopping moments in action ..... This young lady has a shop in Kallaar and she kindly agreed to pose for the camera.

The next in the list is "Ice Apples" or "Nungu". The tree is named Palmyra palm/ toddy palm which bears these jelly fruits encased in hard shells and usually comes in clusters. There is a sweet liquid in the centre of the jelly fruit which has a lovely flavour.

During the summer months, the palm shoot is cut and the juice is collected in a earthen pot. This juice is light with a sweet sugary taste and goes by the name "Pathaneer".  

"Patha" means sterilised or pasteurised and "Neer" means water. This is usually consumed in the morning as is a wonderful coolant and abundant in minerals and vitamins.

The juice which is collected in the evenings are usually fermented and serves as raw alcoholic drink. In Kongunad cuisine various sweet dishes are prepared with pathaneer like pathaneer payasam and pathaneer halwa.

Usually ice apples or nungu along with pathaneer are brought to Coimbatore from Pollachi and Gobi freshly everyday. As you can see from the picture below, the vendor has his stall on a two wheeler. He usually has his spot near the main road next to my home and sales are very brisk during the morning hours.

The pathaneer is always sweet and the fruits are so tender and fresh. If you happen to spot a iceapple stall, do have a taste of this drink... I bet you will love it. The fresh iceapple skins are pale yellow in colour and can be consumed along with the fruit.  

The next one is my all time favourite, sugarcane juice.....

 You must have seen the crushing machines and bundles of sugar cane and must have tasted this awesome sugary drink.

Today there are commercial sugarcane juice stalls which promises clean and pure cane juice. Not only that, various additions are added to the sugarcane juice like mint, lime, salt & pepper and chaat masala to give a new dimension to the juice.

Pics depicted here are to show the process of extracting the juice found in the road side stalls everywhere around the state. This is the ever so busy stall in front of ICICI Bank in Trichy Road.

It is incredibly sweet but also rich in calcium and magnesium. As we all know commercial caster sugar is extracted from this juice but unfortunately all the nutrients are lost in the process.

Please make sure that hygienic standards are good where ever you eat or what ever you eat other than home-made items. All these pics were taken in 2010/2011 but because of my laziness they have come to light only now...

There are of course an overflow of mangoes, melons, gooseberries and cucumbers...

Eat well and be healthy.... Enjoy this summer with lots of healthy natural drinks and fruits..:))

Enjoy....


Scribbled by Reva