Palmyra Fruit or Ice Apple - Cool by any Name.

Commonly known as ice apples, Palmyra fruits are the special delights of summer months. The vendors come to the streets of all South Indian towns and cities, early in the morning with their baskets filled to the brim with these heavenly delights ! They like to sell these fruits early because exposed to the sun and air they become hard and lose the taste they have when they are still tender ! Housewives knowing their value are in a hurry to buy these, peel them and season them with sugar and cardamom to delight their family members in the afternoon after their siesta. While the pulp cools the body, the juice prevents prickly heat commonly afflicting the skin during these months. Ice apples blended with tender coconut water make a nourishing beverage and sweetened with honey a delicious dessert! It is to be hoped that expanding urbanization and increasing deforestation will not deprive us of these delights in the future.