*TRADITIONAL GOA/HEM GOENKARANCHEM DAIZ...* Waterproof glue... made from the jackfruit!
By Anthony D'Mello (Tivim) +91 70203 78833 Long before the various brands of synthetic super glue came to the market, a waterproof glue made from the sap of the jackfruit was used in Goa. The sap would be collected in coconut shells from the stem of the jackfruit as soon as it was plucked from the tree. It was then stirred vigorously with a small stick till it became a semi-solid lump which was then taken and pasted to the back of the door of the house or outhouse. More and more of the sap was added to the lot pasted earlier on the door. In those days there were no plastic water pots. Earthen pots were used for all field work. The pots every often used to get cracks and leaks. That's when the dried sap would come in handy. A piece of the dried sap would be cut from the stock and heated in a metal utensil or even on a local tile. A piece of tile would be powdered and mixed thoroughly in the heated sap and then applied to the leaking part of the pot. The mixture would stick to the earthen pot and, on drying, stop the leak. No one collects the jackfruit sap any more. There are no earthen pots to mend. Plastic pots are now used in the few fields that are cultivated. [Edited and circulated via FN +91-9822122436]
