I finally found what I’ve been looking for… My favourite fruit. Ever. In the whole wide world. Okay, you get the drift now. It’s the Pomelo. It’s the fruit I don’t share. I’ve fought my brother, my parents, and even my second grade class teacher. K is lucky we’re married, so he gets some, but I shall be polishing this off all by myself at midnight or when he takes his beauty baths. I’ve waited to have my lovely pomelo for years, YEARS.
I once spotted a Thai pomelo at Le Marche, but for 400 bucks I tried not to cry in public, or let the attendants see the disappointment on my face. A few years back when mum and I made a trip to CR Park during Durga Puja, I found a fellow selling a very sad-looking one. It was expensive, especially when my parents compare with what they would pay back in Calcutta that many years ago, but we still got it home. It wasn’t as lovely as the ones I’ve had, but it was something.
This one isn’t as ripe as it could have been. It came out a light pink. I don’t think I could have waited for it to turn into anything deeper. When it’s ripe, it’s more like a deep pink, and sweet. But nevertheless, this one was beautiful. Crispy and succulent, with all the citrusy goodness. Often when browsing aimlessly, I notice recipes mentioning how to use pomelo/ grapefruit in salads, but it really needs nothing else. Maybe a pinch of rock salt if it’s a bit too sour. But that’s it. Back in Bengal, we call it Batabi Lebu. I think others may know it as Chakotra. It’s been 14 years since I left Calcutta, and I miss the easy availability of this fruit the most.
When I posted the above picture on my Instagram profile, my friend S said in Nepali, it’s call ‘bhogatay’. She added how they also made a salad with it, or with curd and spices, I’m assuming like a raita. Another dear friend N remarked how this fruit grows in abundance in Kashipur. Availability near hill stations and mountainous locales would be a good way to get me to ditch the beachside, but N has indeed promised to get me some the next time she visits Kashipur. I’m beaming with happiness. Maybe I should have shared my love for pomelo earlier, and then maybe I’d have struck gold sooner. :)
Someone once told me I enjoy the simpler things in life, that it doesn’t take much to make me happy. She made it sound like it was a bad thing, and for quite a few years I believed it. Now, as I enjoy my pomelo while sitting in the winter sun and reading a book, I realise she was right, and that it doesn’t matter.
Featured image by Estudio Bloom on Unsplash.
