Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India

“Preparations for the picnic would begin at dawn. All the short ladies of the house-and they were all short-would begin scurrying around in the kitchen, One, would be stirring potatoes in a gingery tomato sauce; another sitting on a low stool, rolling out pooris by the dozen; yet another would be forming meatballs with wetted palms. Pickles had to be removed from pickling jars, fruits packed in baskets and the disposable terracotta mutkainas (handle less cups for our water and tea) given a thorough rinse” Climbing the Mango Trees is a memoir of Madhur Jaffrey’s childhood in India. She of course needs no introduction (actress, cookbook writer & regarded as an authority on Indian Food). In her memoir, she paints a vivid picture of what it was like growing up in India in the mid-20th century & in a large well to do Indian family. A family, where dinners were fairly generous affairs with about forty or more of the extended family sitting down together, where picnics were plenty, where children spent their summers climbing mango trees (armed with a ground mixture of salt, pepper, red chillies & roasted cumin) & crispy cold winter morning meant Daulat ki Chaat (the frothy evanescence that disappears as soon as it touches the tongue). The house was always full of people & full of food (family tensions, too). Since she was always surrounded by love, concern, cousinly competition & more, it was almost a relief when she was alone, a silent zone that she kept only for herself. The book also touches upon several important historical events like the partition, talks about the caste system, the political scene at that time & ofcourse the influence of all the rulers that India has had on its food. It is interesting to note how Madhur’s own family also blended this Hindu, Muslim and English influence into their own food, clothes and culture. This book is much treasured (had the privilege of meeting and interviewing Madhur Jaffrey some years back and had to request her to autograph my old copy) and one that I have read many times. Read it for the flavours and the scents of the food she has described and the taste memories that her childhood evokes.