Local Fruits of Uttarakhand

The rocky mountainous terrain of Uttarakhand though looks craggy and bereft of vegetation, yet when the season of fruits arrives, you would be wonder-struck to see the fruity trees out there laden with all kinds of juicy colourful delectable fruits that would actually set your mouth watering. To get detailed information on the local fruits of Uttarakhand, go through the article below:

Some ‘fruit…err… food for thought’ for your Trip to Uttarakhand, the Land of Gods follows. If you have finally decided to go for Chardham yatra, do not forget to feast upon the delectable fruits sold in the roadside shacks and in the market. Give your taste-buds the heavenly touch of the local varieties like Peach (Aadoo), Plum (Pulam), Apricot (Khumanee), pears (Nashpati), cherry, mango, citrus (Malta), litchi, guava, jackfruit, apple, strawberry, lemon, Kirmodi, Hisaaloo, Kafal, Ghigharu, Alu Bukhara (plum), pine nuts and Bedu. Kafal, Hisaloo, strawberries flood the market in the months of April to June whereas apricots, Darim and plums come up during the monsoons generally.

Uttarakhand travel season draws in hordes of tourists and pilgrims from round the world. The innumerable temples and shrines make it the Land of Gods and the scenic mountain beauty is no less than heaven! Also, numerous adventure sports and water sports too attract a lot of the thrill-seekers out there. Uttarakhand Tourism’s full-fledged promotion of the beautiful state has borne fruit, and even after the devastating deluge in 2012, the state has fought back the calamity well and is again charting up the list of world’s most popular destinations.

From fruition of the state’s efforts, let’s talk about the actual fruits of the state. Like the apples of Himachal, or the oranges of Nagpur, there are areas within Uttarakhand known for the quality of specific varieties of fruits. Ranikhet’s Chaubotia Garden is known for apples, Mukteshar for plum orchards, Dhanolti, Ramnagar and Bhowali for the pine nuts and Ramnagar for its sugar free strawberries.

Now, Let us Find Out Some of the Popular Fruits of the State:

Strawberry

Uttakhand is blessed with the perfect climate for strawberry plantation. This fruit is cultivated in the state for commercial purpose. In Nainital district, Ramgarh is known for its strawberry cultivation as well as known for the orchid hub. Chajji district too have caught up with this delicious berry cultivation.

Plum:

This sour-sweet fruit is used for making jams and jellies. It is delicious even when raw. Plums are also eaten as dry fruit. This red berry has delicious juicy pulp and a hard seed at the centre. It is quite a common view in road-side fruit stalls of the hill-stations here. Mukteshwar is known for the best plums.

Hisalu

t is quite popular amongst the locals. This bright yellow coloured fruit is abundant both in Kumaon and Garhwal regions and it tastes amazingly sweet! It ripens during March-April, available mostly in and around Nainital, Bhimtal, Almora and can be purchased from the fruit-sellers by the road-side stalls.

Walnuts

Uttarakhand has the temperate climate needed to grow walnuts. For this reason, the Horticulture Department of the state too is taking new measures to cultivate and promote the fruit for commercial cultivation.

Kafal

This fruit resembles deep-red raspberries but it has negligible pulp as the most space is taken up by the big round seed inside. It is a tasty treat and popular amongst the hilly people. This extremely sour fruit (even when ripe) is taken with a sprinkle of rock-salt and chili powder.

Khumani (Apricot)

This fleshy and juicy fruit is widely cultivated in Uttarakhand, and it is a popular fruit too. It is rich is beta-carotene, iron, potassium, and anti-oxidants and therefore a healthy choice. The bright yellow-red colour is a treat for the eyes too.

Now, armed with all the fruity knowledge, don’t forget to devour the fruitilicious products of Uttaranchal!

• [You may also like to read about: Famous Garhwali and Kumaoni Food & Recipes]