The word ‘pickle’ itself can cause temporary hypersalivation among most of us. A meal without pickle is something that a lot of us cannot imagine. There are many varieties of unripe fruits that are used in the preparation of pickles in India. However, a pickle made out of Indian Hog Plum or Wild mango stands as one of the most delicious pickles of all.
The young shoot and flowers are eaten as a vegetable and the fruit is a good source of vitamin C. Its roots, bark, leaves and fruits are used in traditional medicine. A paste of the bark and fruit pulp are used in case of rheumatism. The root powder is orally administered for regulating menstruation.
Amate Kaayi is its popular name in Karnataka. Wild Mango is scientifically termed as Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz and it belongs to the Mango family Anacardiaceae. It is a lofty, deciduous, resinous tree up to 20m tall with a strong, stout trunk.
The bark is smooth, whitish-grey or ash-coloured. Its leaves are 20-30cm long, compound, odd-pinnate, arranged in alternate fashion, usually clustered at the ends of branchlets, while leaflets are 7-11cm, 6-14 cm long and 3-5cm broad, elliptic-oblong, base unequal, with intra-marginal looping veins. Inflorescences are up to 20cm long. Flowers are bisexual or unisexual, 5mm across and yellow in colour. Fruits are drupes, 4-7cm long and 2.5-3.5cm broad, ovoid, green, ripening yellowish-green, smooth and fleshy.