The Jamun fruit has made an out-of-season appearance on vending carts all along the busy N.S.B. Road in the city.
While summer is known for mangoes and jackfruits, the purple oblong berry Jamun, the fruit of an evergreen tropical tree native to India and Indonesia, is commonly available in Tamil Nadu in June and July.
“These Jamuns are from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, where it is harvest time now,” said Vembarasan, who has set up his small push cart and basket full of Jamuns in front of a leading departmental store on NSB Road. He sells the fruit at Rs. 30 to Rs. 35 for 250 gm.
The Jamuns differ in cost, taste, and texture. Many fruit vendors agree that the Jamuns from Andhra Pradesh are sweeter and have a thicker peel while the fruits harvested in Tamil Nadu are sour in taste and more pulpy. They are costlier by Rs. 10 compared to the locally harvested ones.
The difference in harvesting could explain the cost difference, said another vendor. “In Tamil Nadu, the ripe fruits are allowed to fall, which makes them mushy. But the Andhra Pradesh Jamuns are hand-plucked, which helps their peel to stay firm for longer,” he said.
Vembarasan, who starts his day at 8 a.m., said: “We first occupy a place for our push cart for the day. Then segregate ripe fruits from the larger basket.”
He sprays water on his heap of Jamuns to keep it fresh throughout the day.
‘Naval Pazham’, as the berry is known in local parlance, is a favourite among the children as it colours the mouth purple and tastes sweet and sour at the same time. Apart from taste, the Jamun has health benefits.
“The fruit is good for diabetics as it helps lower blood sugar level,” said Padma, 40, who sells the fruit near Main Guard Gate. Jamun seeds are powdered to make herbal medicines while the pulp is crushed to make syrups. “We sell Jamun syrups as a fruit juice but the pungent taste and strong purple stain are not to everyone’s liking,” she added.
