Narthangai is a variety of citron. It is uniquely known for a variety of uses in South India.
Just like a math teacher usually asks “What if you need to divide 100 watermelons amongst your friends equally? What will you do and how. Explain your answer.”
The question always makes me smile, who will ever buy 100 watermelons, 1000 bananas, 500 apples or 1000 lemons.
Interestingly, my uncle once was gifted 100 narthangais (lemon) by a local farmer. Now, we all know we can make lemonade with it. However, he and my aunt made a variety of dishes. These dishes can be stored and eaten over a period of time. They can also be gifted to friends.
He has an innate attitude of taking up every problem. He figures out a unique solution that engages his creative mind. This approach brings about an innovative solution. Whether it’s electronics, gadgets, printing, or meal prep, his creative mind sees these as possibilities. Menu items too become opportunities for ideation and innovation. I wonder if social media or YouTube existed when he was young. He must have become a great influencer by now.
They returned home. First, they shared a few lemons with an 85-year-old neighbor. They smiled and said, “These had your name written on it.” She was perplexed at first, and when she understood, returned a heartwarming smile. There is a saying in Hindi. It goes like “Every grain of rice brings with it the destiny of who it would feed.”
The rest of the 80 lemons were an interesting problem to solve.
So, they came up with a variety of pickles.
Some of the names of these items
- Narthangai salted pickle
- Narthangai spicy pickle
- Juice
- Dried powder
- Dried salted Narthangai (oorugai)
- Dried Narthangai strips
I still remember eating the last two during my childhood.
The video he shared took me down the memory lane. I do not get or eat narthangai anymore. But the taste of it with curd rice still lingers in my mind, and makes my mouth water.
Thanks to my uncle who felt like sharing this video! To any south Indian, this is a treasure trove 🙂