Jackfruit

Here's another fruit post. The jackfruit (কাঠাল, kathal in Bangla) is an incredible fruit -- it grows right off the trunk of the tree and can get up to 80 lb.


I have lots of good memories of jackfruit eating contests, but the season has been overshadowed by the mango season, so I only bought my first one yesterday. Here my roomate Nathan and I are finishing up the dissection....


I haven't been buying jackfruit because they come in XXL & up; not in convenient one-snack-size packages like most fruit. Fortunately both my roommates enjoy jackfruit, so this small was finished off in one day. Many foreigners, and quite a few Bengalis, are put off by the smell or consistancy. But it has an important place in Bengali culture -- even getting the spot as 'national fruit.' I've just been learning the dozen or so different names for the soft and firm varieties.



Everything on the jackfruit is used -- the seeds are great in curry, and cows eat the outer skin.

Mango season

I'm in Rajshahi during mango season, and there's no better place for mango. Rajshahi is the the big division (state) capitol, where my parents and brother's family live. It is also at the hub for the mango growing region -- and any Bengali will tell you that the best mangos come from here.

So this morning my nephew Elias and I walked over to the nearest mango market. For over 50 meters on either side of this road there are unbroken lines of mango sellers -- and this is only one of several mango centers in town.

I restrained myself after filling a couple grocery bags, as I'll need to carry them back with me to Bogra. At Tk. 35/kg (about 25 cents/lb), even a MCC food budget allows for a lot of mango.


With mango in cereal, in salads, in smoothies, in popsicles, and after every meal, our garbage usually ends up looking like this:

Maia Jubilee Thomas

My new niece, born June 5 at 1 a.m.

Maia timed her coming nicely. I was just finishing up Bangla classes for the week when my brother Jacob called with the news that she was on her way out. They were staying near a hospital just a few hours north of Bogra, so I was able to jump on a bus that afternoon, and made it up there just before they went in to the hospital. I got to take care of Elias then and the next day while Jacob & Hosanna recovered.

Here she is a few days later with her older brother Elias. He likes to kiss Maia, but his tricycle and balls are still more interesting than a sleeping sister.