It's mango season

The Koyambedu fruit market is its usual self - squashed pulp for floor tiles and potholes for approaches - save for a little take over. ``They came about 10 days back,'' says a trader. More like them stormed in.

Any merchant worth his bananas has declared allegiance to the king. What else can he do? The Koyambedu fruit market in summer is a mango bazaar, painted green and yellow.

Turn into any corner and there they are, the mango mountains. Escape to a spot with not a yellow in sight, and just then, some vendor will stroll across with a basketful on his head. That's what Koyambedu is today, and it will be so for the next three months. It's mango season. One political party has painted bright golden mangoes all over because it is its symbol.

Some are plump yellow, some blushing and green, and a half-dozen hues in between. ``There are about 20 varieties going,'' says Mr. M. Jayakumar, a fruit merchant here and draws the list from the popular Goa Mambalam (remember Chandrababu's cheeky Malgoa Mambalame number) to Alphonso, Banganapali, Senthura, Neduchalai and Pether. There are more but all such tongue twisters.

Colour and size apart they all seem the same. They smell exotic and teasing but not different. You will have to sink your teeth in and suck the pulp to tell them apart. But ask any trader and he, with a half-glance that's more than bored to the seed, will spot the varieties.

The mangoes are storming in from everywhere. A lot of the Banganapalis have come from Vijaywada and nearby belts in Andhra Pradesh, as have the Alphonsos. Tenkasi pours in the Malgoas. They come from throughout Tamil Nadu to flood the Koyambedu fruit market.

Obviously, the oranges, sapotas, bananas, grapes and apples have turned a shade green. There are also patches of jackfruit, another summer favourite, but hardly any watermelons. Get them outside.

It is too tempting for the traders not to go retail and they stack up the mangoes at seven for Rs. 14. Of course, that's not standard, and if you go in cop's clothing you get them free. The prices go by the varieties, sizes and the traders' desperation - ``We have to sell them before they rot.''

Go bargain.

By Feroze Ahmed

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