TIPS TO CONSUME CUSTARD APPLE (SITA PHAL) HAPPILY

 

TIPS TO CONSUME CUSTARD APPLE (SITA PHAL) HAPPILY

 

I am writing this note as certain facts struck to my mind while buying some Custard Apple ( Sita Phal, in Odia also called as “Badhial“ ) for home consumption in the morning. Custard Apple is a very nice fruit, very popular and consumed throughout India. This is the season, we get a lot in matured condition in the market, plentily available now in Mumbai (Bombay ). But, there is an issue invariably with this nice fruit. Most of the times you will find some spider-net and miniature whitish type of stuff stuck to the groves of the custard apple sold in the market. This stuff is usually the saliva ( spider net is also saliva of spider ) and spider net looking insects called as "mealy bugs" and eggs of some insects who eat and survive on Custard Apple plants and fruits. If you consume such fruits without properly cleaning it, invariably there may be a possibility of throat infection. During COVID-19 time, even a throat infection by other infections, creates fear of Covid infection, which is very normal human fear and you may have to go through Covid tests and further procedure which is not without some botheration.

So how to consume such Custard Apple happily without possible botheration?

When you buy the Custard Apple, better buy in non-ripened condition( hard ones ). After bringing home, only washing by water won’t work. Use a tooth-brush to brush out all the sticking dirt from the grooves of the Custard Apple while holding it inside water. Then wash off with water. After that dip the clean Custard Apple in Common Salt Water ( say put a Table Spoon Full of Common salt in a Litre of water and dip the Custard Apples in it ). After dipping in Common Salt water, wash the Custard Apples once more in plain water. Allow it to dry in air and get ripened. Once it is ripened you can consume the Custard apples safely and happily.

If you buy ripened Custard Apples, it will be soft, but this cleaning operation can be done very carefully only if the fruit is not cracked or broken already.

Thought this note will help friends in Covid time as well as in Custard Apple season, as everyone likes this nice and sweet fruit ( except those who have to reduce sugar load ).

I bought 2kgs in the morning and did what I explained above by spending 10 mins, have kept for ripening.

On 04-October-2021, The Hindustan Times daily, in its internet publication has published a Video on Health Benefits of Custard Apple. I am updating this post on 05-October2021 again by editing and giving the the link below, for the said video published by Hindustan Times. ( Image Credit : The Hindustan Times )


https://www.hindustantimes.com/web-stories/health-benefits-of-custard-apple-1814

How this fruit Custard Apple got the local name "SITA PHAL" in India:

It is very interesting and could be the factual position. "SITA" is a Sanskrit Word which means "Furrow" or "Groove". Furrow is a Groove which is created when a farmer ploughs soil by a plough. Therefore, the local Indian name "SITA PHAL" of Custard Apple has been derived from the Sanskrit Word "SITA" (meaning Groove in English) as "SITA PHAL" ( Grooved Fruit ) for the inherent groves that are seen on the entire surface (skin) of the fruit, akin to the furrows created on a ploughed land. 

I would like to give the credit for this advice regarding the Sanskrit Word "SITA" to be behind the local name "SITA PHAL" to my class mate Mr. Bhagaban Dash ( can't tag him here, who in fact advised me on this as I did not know it, I admit ), who shared my batch 1979-1983 at OUAT ( Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology), Bhubaneswar, Odisha in India. He only, advised me regarding the Sanskrit Word "SITA" ( Groove ) to be behind the local name "SITA PHAL" (Grooved Fruit) for the Custard Apple. 

Since the Sanskrit Word "SITA" is behind the local Indian Name "SITA PHAL" of Custard Apple, I can safely say that, this fruit might have been there in Indian Forests in Ancient Times. May be it got identified scientifically as well as an eatable fruit after the Spanish Traders Manila galleons in the Philippines brought it to Asian Region from the Americas as Wikipedia records ( web link : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar-apple?fbclid=IwAR29Me7MBdAcKo9Bp6HypVijmtROs5zKGXyoV-Wl1-xi2QhW0BdS_tRjHaI )

Further Interestingly, the name of "SITA" of "Goddess Sita" of the epic "Ramayana" was given by her father "Raj Rishi Janak" as he had found Goddess Sita from a furrow of soil ( SITA in Sanskrit), while ploughing the soil as the rituals after doing a "Yagna". In other words, since Goddess Sita was found from a "SITA" (meaning Furrow in Sanskrit) she was named as SITA by her father Raj Rishi Janak. I checked, the naming of Sita of Goddess Sita has been also documented in Wikipedia ( link : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sita ). Hence the Goddess name Sita may not have any linkage to the name of this fruit, while the Goddess name Sita is also derived from the Sanskrit Word "SITA".

Thus. precisely the Sanskrit Word "SITA" has been the key towards naming of the fruit Custard Apple as "SITA PHAL" ( Grooved Fruit ) locally in India. 

About the Author : Dr. Nimain Charan  Biswal is a B.Sc.(Agri. Science and Technology), M.B.A. and Ph.D.(Management Area ) by qualifications and he has 35+ years of work experience in both  industrial and development sectors in diversified fields of social importance. He has been educated at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)-Bhubaneswar, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Gujarat University (with Resource Support of IIM-Ahmedabad). Dr.Biswal is further educated at IIM-Calcutta, XLRI-Jamshedpur, Apple Computer Industries and Spar Inc., USA. He has worked for reputed National and International Organisations in Senior/Top Management Capacities. He is a management expert covering extensive areas from management in agriculture, industrial management, development management to management of public systems. He is a prominent professional of India and known Internationally as well. He lives at Mumbai in India.

 

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