Kulhavah

Before I tell you what this post is about  I have to tell you about an old story behind the above picture.  There is an old saying in the Maldives that when a person forgets his roots they say just like " Kulhavafalhu Rani" or the queen from the Kulhavah grown area. Anyway, the above picture shows a locally grown ? fruit? known as Kulhavah. It has a sweet sour taste and a very strong smell as it ripens.

Now the story behind the food.  There was once this poor girl who lived  in an island in the Maldives. These Kulhavah were grown in her house,  and she loved eating them. It can be eaten in its slightly sour green green stage or overly ripe stage.  Anyway, one day the King discovered her and fell in love with her and took her to live in Male' in his Palace.  After years passed by one of the islanders went to visit the Queen, ( the girl)  and took a basket of Kulhavah as a present. She took the Kulhavah  and turned it around her hands and smelled and goes, what is this? is this a fruit? how do you eat it? Is it grown on a bush or a tree? . Apparently she had forgotten all about her beloved fruit and her simple life before she became a queen.

Anyway, I love  this fruit,  not many people do, in my house my nieces and nephews turn their noses to the smell and my brother-in-law runs away a mile, when he gets a whiff of the smell. My aunt and I share the same love for this, so whenever she comes over to Male' or I go to Kulhudhufushi we try to get some to enjoy . She makes juice out of it, a sweet sour-tasting drink .... I like the overly ripe ones, mashed with sugar and fresh coconut.

mashing up the kulhavah

 

It has some crunchy edible white seeds inside.  For me it is a nice little treat, don't really care if no one else likes it , more for me right ;)!

Sweet Mashed  Kulhavah with sugar and  freshly grated coconut

Above is my favourite way to eat this, mashed up overripe Kulhavah, mixed with sugar and freshly grated coconut. Yummm.!