FADING FLAVOURS

       Here in Bangkok, if you want to buy some fruit, probably the easiest way to get them is to go to a supermarket. There you'll find cantaloupes, dragonfruit,seedless grapes, Holland papayas, kiwi fruit, avocados, apples, yellow watermelons, Sunkist oranges, imported seedless pears and choice nam dawk mai mangoes.
       In this capital city, people regularly stock up on such fruit. In time, they may forget about langsat (the murky brownish-yellow Lansium domesticum berry grown in Uttaradit, now getting hard to find as they are steadily being replaced by longkong -another member of the same species),maprang (commonly known in English as marian plums),phutsa (jujubes), phutsa Thai (Thai jujubes),mafiang (akin to rambais and loquats),maphoot , and a large number of other old-time Thai favourites that are gradually disappearing from our culinary culture.
       Many of these fruit are native to Thailand,while others were brought here from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, Indonesia, Malaysia or China. One example is the guava, which is thought to have been brought to Thailand by Portuguese visitors during the Middle Ayutthaya period.(In Thai it was dubbed farang, which also means a Westerner, because its pink pulp resembled Europeans' skin colour. When birds ate the fruit their droppings were red, giving rise to the longer name farang khee nok , or bird-droppings guava).All of these fruit eventually established themselves in Thailand's culture, and sent deep roots into the Thai way of life. Many types were traditionally grown by villagers near the fences surrounding their property or along public walkways, so that travellers could pick the fruit to refresh themselves along the way. One of these was the makham pawm Emblic myrabolan ), whose leaves provided shade while the fruit cooled the throat and quenched the thirst. Since it fruits all year round, households that grew it were happy to let passers-by and local children help themselves.
       Some Thai fruit were sometimes grown because they provided useful characteristics as well as fruit. Jujube trees, for example,were grew in dense clusters around the ruins and ancient temples of Ayutthaya.This reason for this was that these sites used to be almost completely overgrown with grass, weeds and vines. When they were restored, one of the first things to be done was to remove all of the overgrowth and plant a thick crop of jujube. The trees provided shade so well that grass and weeds were no longer able to grow. In addition,local people were able to go and gather the fruit for sale. At the same time, the coming and going helped to protect the sites from thieves who might sneak in to dig up artifacts from the grounds around the sites.
       Then there are the fruits that help maintain good health. The maphoot is sweet and tasty, but also acts as a natural laxative.Villagers often ate it after the evening meal to keep them regular.
       The maquid (wood or elephant apple,so named because of elephants' fondness for them) has an appearance that suggests coarseness. It grows on a very big tree, the fruit itself is large, and it has a thick shell,But the pulp inside is soft, sweet and fragrant. It can be eaten easily with a spoon when ripe. Extremely nourishing, it is be-lieved to help clear up stomach problems.In the past, it was often eaten in the evening to help keep maintain a healthy digestion.
       The mamuang kaew is a small, round mango that is available all year round. It is very acidic, more sour than sweet even when ripe. Squirrels and birds will take a bite or two and then leave it alone, and people who grow it don't have to worry about thieves making off with the fruit.
       In the past, it was eaten to keep the stomach in order, but it was also delivered to the market for sale because it could be used for pickling, too.Shredded fresh mamuang kaew was also sprinkled on top of yam dishes (sour, hot salads) and the popular fried noodle phat Thai . It was also the best choice for making nam phrik mamuang (a mangobased chilli dip sauce). Since the mamuang kaew tree is big and has small, thick leaves, it is also a good shade tree.
       One local citrus that has found a use both in religious ceremonies and in the kitchen is the som jeet , or Calamodin, which grows on a small bush. Although it is very sour, the Chinese view it as a symbol of happiness and good fortune. It is small and yellow. Several are clustered close together and they cover the entire plant.Chinese households like to grow them in pots nearby the house.
       The som juke , another Chinese favourite,is dark green and has a big protrusion at the top resembling a juke, or Thai topknot.Because of this, it is called som juke priew ,or sour topknot orange. It is an oldfashioned fruit that is used as an offering to ancestors during the Chinese New Year.Despite its sourness, its juice mixed with sugar makes a refreshing drink.
       The skin of the som sa (citron) is used to impart a special fragrance to certain Thai dishes, most famously mee krawb and pranaem . Without it, the flavour of both these dishes loses character.
       These are only a few of the local Thai fruits that offer more than just the property of being edible. They have acquired special significance in the segment of Thai society associated with religious belief and because they are viewed as being effective as natural medicines.
       Nonetheless, despite their multiple uses and value to traditional culture, they are now being forgotten.
       Apples, cantaloupes, kiwi fruit and seedless grapes are elbowing them out. But these more expensive imports will never be able to acquire the value, both real and symbolic, of these exotic Thai fruit.