BABLIMAS- KAMBILI NARANGA
Dear friends,
My uncle’s home atKidangoor (*Kottayam District in Kerala) had a Bablimas tree
and when we went oncea while my uncle would pluck a few ripe fruits with a long
stick. The tree hadat least 10 feet height. The green Bablimas were
approximately to the size of afootball.
Quarter of a Bablimascut was sufficient to fill the stomach. My father
wouldcut open, take out the flesh removing from rind and gave to us. Since not
available in my home, we wouldbring at least three while returning. Mymother
would share two to close relatives. The skin was about an inch thick andcan be
cut open only. Skin is discarded
Bablimas weigh around 1to 2 kg and diameter of around 12 to20 cm.
Normally fattychildren are told as Bablimas. Something similar to the smart
girl appearing inLifebuoy mouth freshener. Fattypersons are also nicknamed as
Bablimas.
Recollection from mystudent days- There was a Nampoothiri from Trivandrum
married a royal lady frommy home. He was very white complexioned, bulky and
talland very sensitive of cleanliness. Mostly when he came to his royal wife it
was usual for us to comment- Bablimas nampoothiri came.In fact the royal lady
too was bulky like him.
In college too morebody growth and beautiful girls were told as bablimas in my
student days. Manyliked calling so, sincerelated to beauty.
Bablimas is also toldas KAMBILI NARANGA. Let me continue withBablimas with a
few information gathered by surfing, studied and compiled.
I had posted earlierone posting on Bablimas on 5-12-2013 which was the third
one I found when I surfed for newinformation!!
Sincerely,
Gopala Krishnan 10-05-2021.
1 Pomelo Fruits Or Kambili Naranga: An Important CitrusFruit
Pomelo fruits whichis also known as kambili naranga in Kerala state. It’s
Binomial name is Citrus maxima. The genus ofpomelo fruits is citrus.
At the time ofripening, pomelo fruits are green or yellow in colour. An
important pointregarding pomelo fruits are that they are the largest citrus
fruits with a sweet flesh.
Pomelo fruits areconsidered as native of Asian countries. This is mainly grown
in places likeCalifornia, India, and Malaysia.
In Tamil language,pomelo fruits are commonly known as gadarangai
InTelugu language this is known as dabba kaaya.
In Hindi it is called'Chakothara'. In Nepal, it iscalled 'Bhogate'.
The fruit is known as"robab tenga"in Assam, and is a popular fruit among mass.
In rural areas inAssam, children often use pomelos as footballs.
In Manipur, the fruit isused as a major source of vitamin C. This fruit holds a
high place in theculture and tradition of Manipur.
2 Varieties of pomelo
It is important tonote that there are different varieties of pomelo in the
world. Some importantvarieties of pomelo are
1. Chandler 2.Siamesesweet 3.Sweetie 4.Cocktail
Chandler pomelo is the most popularpomelo of USA. The interior of this fruit
would be pink in colour & at thesame time the outer skin will be yellow
coloured at the time of ripening. Thisvariety was developed in California & it
has a smooth skin. Pulp of thisvariety is juicier.
Siamese sweet pomelos are acid lesspomelos which are seen in the winter season.
Actually the tree which producesthis variety of pomelo is small but the fruits
are oblate in shape. The fleshes of sweetiepomelo are pale yellow in colour
with a mild sweet taste.
The cocktail variety has someimportance. This is because the flesh & juice of
this variety is having thecolour of a mandarin.
3 Nutritional values, selection methods, uses &demerits of pomelo
Pomelo fruits arewidely used for making desserts, snacks, juices etc. That
means they can beused with salt & pepper. These fruits are usually eaten in the
fresh formitself like eating oranges.
Pomelo is rich in nutrientslike vitamin C, protein, dietary fibre,
carbohydrates, vitamin A, calcium,iron, potassium, antioxidants etc. The
deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid)leads to scurvy &that of vitamin A
(retinol) leads to night blindness.
Always try to selectpomelos which have a large size. Also note that the fruits
must be free fromdamaged spots. Some fruits are allergic to some persons. If
you are having any allergicreaction related to pomelo fruits, then you must
avoid using it.
In Kerala this fruit is eaten simply with salt and chilipowder or as it is.
The town of Tambun inPerak, Malaysia is particularly famous for pomelos. The
two varieties are asweet kind, which has white flesh, and a sour kind, which
has pinkish flesh andis more likely to be usedas an altar decoration than
actually eaten.
Pomelos are ofteneaten during the mid-autumn festival or mooncake festival; in
Asia. They arenormally eaten fresh.
4 Etymology
The etymology of theword "pomelo" is uncertain. It is thought to perhaps be an
alterationof pampelmoes ("shaddock") or alternatively, perhaps an alteration
ofa compound of pome ("apple") + melon.
5 Origin
Pomelo fruits areconsidered as native ofAsian countries as earlier told. This
is mainly grown in places likeCalifornia, India, and Malaysia... An important
point regarding pomelo fruitsare that they are the largest citrus fruits with a
sweetflesh.
5A Spreading to other countries
The fruit is said tohave been introduced to Japan by a Cantonese captain in the
An'ei era(1772–1781). The Chinese use pomelo leaves in a ritual bath, which
they believehelps to cleanse a person and repel evil.
6 Cultivation
Pomeleos can be grownfrom seed, provided the seeds are not allowed to dry out
before planting. Theseedlings take about eight years to start blooming and
yielding fruit.
These fruits preferhot, humid climates. The tree which produces pomelo fruit is
considered to bean evergreen one.
Spring season isconsidered as the ripening season for pomelo fruits. With a
sharp knife, youcan easily remove the skin of the pomelos. Well drained soil is
suitable forthe growth of pomelo fruits. Regular watering is required for the
growth ofthese fruits. At the same time care must be taken to remove any
suckers thatare growing around it.
It is a medium-sizedtree but the largest of all Citrus species, with large
leaves, flowers, andfruits.
Pomelos are oftenconfused with grapefruits, from which they can generally be
distinguished bytheir larger size, thicker rinds, milder—even sweet—flavour,
and tough bittermembranes that are often considered inedible.
6A. Hybrids
The tangelo isa hybrid between the pomelo and the tangerine. It has a thicker
skin than atangerine and is less sweet.
The Oroblanco isa hybrid between the pomelo and the grapefruit, the grapefruit
itself being ahybrid between pomelo and the sweet orange. Mandelos are another
pomelo hybrid.
My note- So most citrus fruits are hybrids from wildvarieties.
7 Other uses
Traditional medicinaluses of the fruit include treatment of coughs, fevers, and
gastrointestinaldisorders.
The aromatic flowersare picked and processed into perfume in Vietnam, and the
wood, which is heavy andhard-grained, used for making tool handles.
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