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Nature Note From Mhow: Have you ever eaten the Jungle Jalebi?

May 6 2008 | Views 886 | Comments (86)

Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. Nature Note From Mhow: Have you ever eaten t... Expand

Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Nature Note From Mhow: Have you ever eaten the Jungle Jalebi?

Photographs taken from March to May 2008.

Camera: SONY DSC H9.

Taxonomic Name: Pithecellobium dulce
Common Names: Madras Thorn, Manila Tamarind, Monkeypod, Guamachili, Kamatsile (Filipino), Opiuma (Hawaiian).

According to the Wikipedia article on this tree it is a native of Central and Northern South America.

Besides the common names given above Pradip Krishen's Trees Of Delhi, a copy of      which is always on my study table, gives me the names Vilaiti Imli and Dakhani Babool for this tree in Hindi.

The jungle jalebi was a childhood favourite during the years I spent in Mhow in the late sixties and early seventies. Every summer we had to break a few by throwing stones and then fight for the tasty fruit when they fell to the ground.

We have a tree in our house now. It is the rejuvented part of an older tree and is doing well.


These pictures are taken over a period of almost two months as the flowers became fruits which in turn ripened.

The large leaves one can see to the left in the pic above are those of the lantana.

For More Information:

The Wikipedia article on this tree - Click here

The previous nature note from Mhow: The Gul Mohur - A Flamboyant Tree

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Comments (86)

Dev Kumar Vasudevan posted 1 month ago

Hi sampath... thanks for the visit and the comment... some of the bloggers have given the telugu name for this fruit so i am sure it is not totally unknown in the south... i am fairly sure it is not present in kerala... regards.. dev

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DSampath posted 2 mnths ago

dear dev,
what a lovely fruit
never seen it before
how come
is it in south?

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Dev Kumar Vasudevan posted 2 mnths ago

Hi anjana... glad that this blog post could remind you of the days of childhood... and it is also interesting to read about your hubby's mhow connection... thanks for the visit and the comment... regards.. dev

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anjana_jha posted 2 mnths ago

Hi,
That was interesting! I've heard stories from my husband of how he and his brother and sisters would enjoy jungle jilebis as kids! If I'm not mistaken, my father-in-law was posted in Mhow for a while...

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Dev Kumar Vasudevan posted 2 mnths ago

Hi Shamoli..as far as not having tasted the jungle jalebi is concerned : where there is a will there is a way... so 'seek and ye shall taste'.... thanks for the visit and the comment...

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Shamoli Sarkar posted 2 mnths ago

Thanks for the pics & the patience of two months for giving us the complete series.
Well, I have neither seen nor tasted this jalebi.
Enjoyed the post.
Regards,

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Dev Kumar Vasudevan posted 2 mnths ago

arre..... you mean there is one Indori who hasnt seen or eaten the jungle jalebi? ...

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