CHENNAI: The word ‘pickle’ itself can cause temporary hypersalivation among most of us. Meals 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, 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 useful and are used in traditional medicine.
Paste of the bark and fruit pulp are used in case of rheumatism. Root powder is orally administered for regulating menstruation.
Amate Kaayi is a popular name in Karnataka. Wild Mango is scientifically termed as Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz belonging to the Mango family Anacardiaceae. It is a lofty, deciduous, resinous tree up to 20 metres tall with strong, stout trunk.
The bark is smooth, whitish-grey or ash-coloured. Its leaves are 20 to 30 cm long, compound, odd-pinnate, arranged in alternate fashion, usually clustered at the ends of branchlets, and leaflets are 7-11 cm, 6-14 cm long and 3-5 cm broad, elliptic-oblong, base unequal, with intra-marginal looping veins.
Inflorescences are terminal/axillary panicles, up to 20 cm long. Flowers are bisexual or unisexual, 5 mm across and yellow in colour.
Fruits are drupes, 4-7 cm long and 2.5-3.5 cm broad, ovoid, green, ripening yellowish-green, smooth and fleshy.