Most cuisines of Eastern India are considered to be elaborate and refined. Above all is the cuisine of Bengal, which is served in courses based on the ancient beliefs of digestion. Bengalis are considered to be a connoisseur of having a hefty meal especially on weekends. It was in the mid 90’s and I remember travelling to Kolkata only once a year. Honestly, I detested travelling to Kolkata, since in those days the ‘City of Joy’ had turned into the ‘City of Pity’. And just to put the icing on the cake was the frequent power cuts which would entertain mosquitoes of all sizes on a blood sucking spree.
However, Durga Puja was one such occasion which kept that dying soul of Kolkata still alive in me and more so because this was during that time that I could savor on all the best of the delicacies of Kolkata. It was a cool Saturday morning and I could hear the sounds of the rickshaws strolling away to glory sounding their cycle rings. The morning tea was served with a slight addition of ginger and next thing I get to hear from my dad was that I had to accompany him to the legendary ‘Baajar’ (market) to buy stuff for the puja. Much to my unwillingness to go I decided to pit in this journey.
As, I visualized the different stall walas selling the usual stuff like vegetables and fruits, there was one such stall which was only selling a typical kind of fruit. Most surprisingly it was the only stall which was packed with people. I quickly noticed that my father was busy in bargaining with one of the vendors and took this as an opportunity to discover what was so special about that stall. After fighting my way through the packed crowd, I finally found myself standing in front of this stall. The first thing that hit my eyes was this oblong shaped fruit with a thick green grind. I asked myself what was so fascinating about this fruit. And, as I picked the fruit, I could sense an aromatic and fragrant smell fill my nostrils. My father who by now had located where I was quietly came behind me and putting his hand on my shoulder said, “Eta lebu’r raja Gondhoraaj Lebu” (This is the king of all lime…Gondhoraaj)
At first the name sounded to me as character from one of Satyajit Ray’s detective films. Today, the Gondhoraaj lebu holds a special place in all Bengali homes. Its unique fragrance adds a different taste to some of the celebrated dishes. Originating in Sylhet, Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill tracts, the Gondhoraaj is only grown in the fragrant district of Bangladesh, Rangpur. In fact, it grows in abundance there in the golden yellow soil, from where it draws its scientific names – Rangpur Lime or Citrus Limona. It’s a rare blend between a lime and a mandarin with different avatars to it.
What is more interesting is its characteristics of the leaf which is quite similar to the Thai Kaffir lime although they have their own differences. Yet the scent of the Kaffir is indeed beautiful and most of the times the nostalgic Bengalis does settle for the Kaffir as the Gondhoraaj. It is quite fascinating to know that all the citrus fruits in the world trace their roots back to the fertile land between the Himalayan foothills and Burmese plains. And that this where the Gondhoraaj seems to be present too.
The Gondhoraaj has travelled all way to the Queen’s country, in England too, where the famous Tanqueray, a British gin brand developed a Rangpur flavor for the US market which procreated some predictably named cocktails like the 'Rangpur Rickey.'
It’s a warm Sunday afternoon in the city of Mumbai as I sip on my very favourite chilled Gondhoraaj Lebur Sharbat, I know that part of my mind and soul is longing to return to the bazaars of Kolkata from where my rendezvous with the king of limes had started. But someday I will surely return to the city to have a date with the king of limes…
My Gondhoraaj!
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