If you have ever been to a local market \u092c\u093e\u095b\u093e\u0930 \/\u092e\u0902\u0921\u0940 (baazaar<\/i>\/mun-dee)<\/i>\u00a0 in India between late April\/early May and September, you may have noticed baskets \u091f\u094b\u0915\u0930\u0940 (toke-ree)<\/i>\u00a0of golden yellow mangoes \u0906\u092e (aam)<\/i>\u00a0dominating the product displays.<\/p>\n
The mighty mango is a beloved fruit \u095e\u0932 (phal)<\/i>\u00a0in India, and also carries the unique distinction of being the country’s national fruit \u0930\u093e\u0937\u094d\u091f\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092f \u095e\u0932 (raash-tree-ya phal<\/i>). In fact, nearly every state boasts its own variety of mango<\/a> although in my opinion \u092e\u0947\u0930\u0940 \u0930\u093e\u092f \u092e\u0947\u0902 (may-ree raay mein)<\/i>, the Alphonso mango variety, known locally as\u00a0\u0939\u093e\u092a\u0941\u0938 (hapoos<\/em>) bags top spot for flavor and texture.<\/p>\n The mango has been the king of fruits and a fruit for kings since times immemorial in the Indian Subcontinent<\/a>.The Alphonso variety, though relatively recent, has an intriguing history<\/a> rooted in India’s colonial era when the Portuguese had a stronghold in some parts of the country.<\/p>\n If you are traveling in North India and catch the mango fever, plan a trip to Malihabad<\/a>, the largest of the 14 mango belts\u00a0in Uttar Pradesh state (U.P.). This town cultivates mangoes on some\u00a030,000 square hectares of land and many of the families have reportedly been in the mango-growing business for nearly two\u00a0centuries. If you happen to get mango-struck on a jaunt to southern or southwestern India, you could consider a trip to the home of the Alphonso mango in\u00a0Ratnagiri<\/a>\u00a0in Maharashtra state.<\/p>\n In all there are around 300 varieties of mango grown all over India and enjoyed fresh \u0924\u093e\u095b\u093e (taazaa)<\/i>\u00a0as well as in a variety of sweet \u092e\u0940\u0920\u0940 (me-thee)<\/i>\u00a0preparations that enhance their already-bursting flavors. My personal favorites are: fresh mango \u0924\u093e\u095b\u093e \u0906\u092e (taazaa aam), <\/i>mango candy\u00a0\u0906\u092e \u092a\u093e\u092a\u095c (aam paa-pud), <\/i>and mango kulfi \u0906\u092e \u0915\u0941\u0932\u094d\u095e\u0940 (mango ice-cream).<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Let’s listen to this conversation between two friends who plan to go mango-shopping and treat themselves to delicious mango kulfi (ice-cream).<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have ever been to a local market \u092c\u093e\u095b\u093e\u0930 \/\u092e\u0902\u0921\u0940 (baazaar\/mun-dee)\u00a0 in India between late April\/early May and September, you may have noticed baskets \u091f\u094b\u0915\u0930\u0940 (toke-ree)\u00a0of golden yellow mangoes \u0906\u092e (aam)\u00a0dominating the product displays. The mighty mango is a beloved fruit \u095e\u0932 (phal)\u00a0in India, and also carries the unique distinction of being the country’s…<\/p>\n
\nConversation<\/b><\/span>\n
\nConversation Vocabulary<\/b><\/span>\n\n\n
\n \u092c\u093e\u095b\u093e\u0930 \/\u092e\u0902\u0921\u0940<\/td>\n baazaar<\/i>\/mun-dee<\/i><\/i><\/td>\n market<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u091f\u094b\u0915\u0930\u0940<\/td>\n toke-ree<\/i><\/td>\n tbasket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0906\u092e<\/td>\n aam<\/i><\/td>\n mango<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u095e\u0932<\/td>\n phal<\/i><\/td>\n fruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0930\u093e\u0937\u094d\u091f\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092f<\/td>\n raash-tree-ya<\/i><\/td>\n \u00a0national<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0930\u093e\u0937\u094d\u091f\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092f \u095e\u0932<\/td>\n raash-tree-ya phal<\/i><\/td>\n national fruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0939\u093e\u092a\u0941\u0938<\/td>\n hapoos<\/em><\/td>\n vernacular for Alphonso mango<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u092e\u0947\u0930\u0940 \u0930\u093e\u092f \u092e\u0947\u0902<\/td>\n may-ree raay mein<\/i><\/td>\n in my opinion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0924\u093e\u095b\u093e<\/td>\n taazaa<\/i><\/td>\n fresh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u092e\u0940\u0920\u0940<\/td>\n me-thee<\/i><\/td>\n sweet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0906\u092e \u092a\u093e\u092a\u095c<\/td>\n aam paa-pud<\/i><\/td>\n mango candy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0906\u092e \u0915\u0941\u0932\u094d\u095e\u0940<\/td>\n aam kulfee<\/i><\/td>\n mango ice-cream<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u092c\u095d\u093f\u092f\u093e<\/td>\n badhiya<\/em><\/td>\n great quality<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0906\u092f\u0947 \u0939\u0948\u0902<\/td>\n aaye hain<\/em><\/td>\n have come (infinitive: aana = <\/em>to come)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0906\u091c<\/td>\n aaj<\/em><\/td>\n today<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0932\u0947 \u0906\u0924\u0940 \u0939\u0942\u0901<\/td>\n lay aati hoon<\/em><\/td>\n will get (fem.); (infinitive:\u00a0le aana =\u00a0<\/em>to bring\/get)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0930\u0938<\/td>\n russ<\/em><\/td>\n juice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0939\u0932\u0935\u093e<\/td>\n halva<\/em><\/td>\n generic term for a sweet preparation;
\nfor e.g.\u00a0aam ka halva <\/em>= mango halva<\/em>;
\ngaajar ka halva = <\/em>carrot halva<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n \u0938\u093e\u0925 \u091a\u0932\u0924\u0947 \u0939\u0948\u0902<\/td>\n saath chul-tay hain<\/i><\/td>\n saath =\u00a0<\/em>together;\u00a0chul-tay hain =\u00a0<\/em>let us go<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0915\u0932<\/td>\n kal<\/em><\/td>\n tomorrow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u092e\u0947\u0939\u092e\u093e\u0928<\/td>\n meh-maan<\/i><\/td>\n guests<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0906 \u0930\u0939\u0947 \u0939\u0948\u0902<\/td>\n aa rahe hain\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\n ___ are coming;
\nfor e.g. Ladke aa rahe hain<\/em> = The boys are coming.
\n(To be used with masc. plural)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n \u092a\u0939\u0932\u0947<\/td>\n pehle<\/i><\/td>\n first<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0916\u0930\u0940\u0926\u0924\u0947 \u0939\u0948\u0902<\/td>\n khareed-tay hain<\/i><\/td>\n let us buy; khareedna<\/em> = to buy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u092b\u093f\u0930<\/td>\n phir<\/i><\/td>\n then\/next<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0926\u0941\u0917\u094d\u0927\u093e\u0932\u092f<\/td>\n doog-dhaa-lay<\/i><\/td>\n dairy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0916\u093e\u0924\u0947 \u0939\u0948\u0902<\/td>\n khaa-tay hain<\/i><\/td>\n let us eat; khaana =<\/em> to eat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u092e\u095b\u093e \u0906\u090f\u0917\u093e<\/td>\n mazaa aayega<\/em><\/td>\n will be fun; (literally: fun will come)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"