On our quest for India’s King of Fruit, the mango, Rob and I decided to stop and check out the Taj Mahal. Although the large gardens surrounding the Taj Mahal were once a proud mango and fruit orchard, mangoes are no longer permitted inside the walls. Ours were confiscated by a bemused guard. More photos […]
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Fast Facts About India's Durian
Durian grows in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, brought by Portuguese and (gasp!) English gardening enthusiasts. Some of the oldest trees were planted in the late 18th century in government testing plots.
Today, Indians are getting more interested in durian as a fertility treatment. If you go to pharmacies, you may see signs advertising durian smoothies to childless couples. This medical use, combined with durian's relative rarity, means that durian is more expensive in India than elsewhere in Southeast Asia. That may change as more and more people plant durian trees as a cash crop.
International Mango Festival Photo Essay | New Delhi, India
“Mango, the King of Fruits is here,” announced the India Times at the start of the season in May. Our beloved durian might be the King of Fruits in the rest of Southeast Asia, but in India the mango reigns supreme, stealing the hearts of poets and bewitching kings and commoners alike for thousands of […]