| PAT DIALAs Guyana advances towards the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Independence, many older consumers and even younger ones reflect upon the large number of fruits and vegetables which are now unobtainable in the markets. Many seem to have almost disappeared from cultivation in Guyana.And the same trend has affected flowers and ornamental plants; most gardens are dominated by perennials like bougainvilleas and oleanders and have none of the flowers which used to be so much cherished 50 years ago.Some younger people have never seen, much less enjoyed, the rich and unique tastes of the varieties of fruits their parents and grandparents enjoyed or the varieties of vegetables. Nor have they ever seen once well-known flowers which had beautified gardens and yards.We will mention some of the fruits,Cheap China Jerseys, vegetables and flowers which seemed to have all but disappeared so that consumers in general and younger persons in particular could be reminded or informed of them and call upon the Ministry of Agriculture to revive them.If the Ministry successfully undertakes this challenge, it will enrich Guyanese Life and will be one of the memorable achievements of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations,There were sugar apples and custard applies. Both fruits grow on fairly small trees and were cultivated in yards in the City and countryside. Custard apples when ripe were of a striking red and gold colour and were of a sweet creamy taste. Sugar apples ripened with a shiny bright dark green.Then there was the pomme rose, a small fruit with a unique subtly sweet taste quite different from other fruits and also unlike other fruits, it gave off a lifting perfume. In eating a pomme rose, one felt one was enjoying the taste of the perfume.Cashews, quite different from the red cashews still seen in the markets, grew the famous cashew nut at the bottom of the fruit. They were grown both as a fruit and for their nuts. Locally produced baked cashew nuts were once widely available in the markets and shops.Peaches, quite different from the foreign peaches, were once widely available in the markets and even from roadside stalls. The fruit has a maroon colour and it is one of the very few fruits whose skin was of a soft velvet.Cherry trees, with their large deep red and sweet fruit as well as the Surinam cherry with their special flavor were once common fruits grown in yards and even as fences. Cherries were known as having a very high Vitamin C content.Mangerines, a perfect cross between a tangerine and orange and having the best qualities of both, were once very common in the markets. Most younger persons have never heard of such a fruit.Psidiums used to be a favourite among children as well as gooseberries. Psidiums were sweet while gooseberries had a sweet-sour taste. These used to be very common in the yards of Georgetown.Guavas were once a very ubiquitous fruit. Many homes made their own guava jams and jellies. The very large white guava, very sweet, and known as “pear guava” or “white lady” is now very rarely seen.The mango is one of the great fruits of the world. Mangoes and oranges are the two tropical fruits most traded internationally, and mangoes, in their scores of varieties, seem to be able to satisfy all tastes. At one time, various varieties of mangoes were available in the markets; now, only spice mangoes and long mangoes are sold.One of the fruits which seem to be moving towards extinction in Guyana is the “katahar” or “koya” or “jack fruit”. This fruit can become so large that one is often more than enough to be consumed by a large family. It is mildly sweet and creamy and has a distinctive taste. It is very popular in Asia. Its large seeds, when roasted or boiled, are very reminiscent of chestnuts and many people prefer them to chestnuts.Vegetables contain many ingredients necessary for good health including the various vitamins. In the 18th and up to the early 19th centuries, Guyanese did not eat many vegetables. With the arrival of Asian immigrants, a large number of vegetables were introduced into the Guyanese diet and meals became more balanced. The natural increases of the population from the last quarter of the 19th century are partly attributable to the more balanced diets Guyanese were now eating.Fifty years ago, the number and variety of vegetables available in the markets were far more than today. For example, there was nenwa, jhingi, and chichira, often called “snake vegetable” from its narrow girth and long length. These were all comparatively sweet vegetables when cooked. Today, the only nenwa available in the markets are the dried ones known as loofas used for cleaning the skin when bathing. No bitter carila is available; bitter carila was used medicinally.The leafy vegetables (bhajis) available today are confined to the thick-leaf poy and the Chinese packchoy. The large variety of 50 years ago, has completely disappeared from the markets. Saijan (merengue) bhaji and the saijan fruit have now become one of the premier health foods in the world. Each variety of these leafy vegetables had their own flavor.We will not deal with flowers and ornamental plants in this offering since this article could not be any lengthier. We will however reiterate our encouragement to the Ministry of Agriculture to have them mount a 50th Anniversary Project for the revival of the cultivation and production of the many fruits and vegetables which are fast disappearing from Guyanese Life. |
