Maharashtra: One of India's Fruitiest States

>> Jul 11, 2014

Fruit cultivation is big business in India. The country is one of the largest and most varied fruit-producing nations in the world, accounting for around 40 % of tropical fruits cultivated globally. Although fruit is grown throughout the country, some of the major fruit-producing states include Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Here's a quick guide to some of India's fruitiest states and how those fruits are used in Indian cuisine.

Mangoes

The mango is the national fruit of India and is the country's king of fruits. And the king of the fruit kings has got to be the Alphonso mango. The Ratnagiri region in Maharashtra is famous for growing this much-enjoyed (and fairly pricey) variety of mango. A dozen sweet and juicy Alphonso mangoes can set you back around 1,000 rupees, but are well worth the cost. They are used to make desserts such as mango kulfi, condiments such as mango chutney and drinks such as mango lassi.

Bananas
The Jalgaon district of Maharashtra has earned the rather enviable reputation of being the "banana capital of India". In a country with such prolific fruit production this is an impressive accolade indeed. Jalgaon contributes more than 16% of India's total banana production, with 48,000 hectares of land dedicated to banana plantations. The South Indian dish raw banana curry is one that really showcases the fruit; made from raw bananas (as the name would suggest) and seasoned with mustard seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, grated coconut and fresh coriander, it is the perfect balance of hot and sweet.

Grapes
The majority of India's grape cultivation takes place in Nashik in north-western Maharashtra (the city is famous for onions and tomatoes, too). Nashik has an ideal climate for growing grapes and the grapes produced here are exported around the world. The seedless variety is particularly popular with the international market. In India, grape juice is a popular drink, and grapes are also used in meat dishes and incorporated into favourites such as raita.

Oranges
Known as "Orange City", Nagpur is the second capital of the state of Maharashtra. More than 20,000 hectares of land are dedicated to the cultivation of oranges. There are two seasons in the orange growing calendar - ambiya and mrig. The oranges produced during the mrig season are the bigger, sweeter, juicier crop. Popular desserts such as kheer and halwa are adapted to include oranges when they are in season.

Chiku
Not heard of chiku fruit before? Commonly known as sapota, the fruit has a smooth creamy texture and is believed to have a number of health benefits. As with all fruit in India it is made into deliciously sweet shakes as well as desserts - such as chiku barfi, made using condensed milk and chiku puree. Kids (and adults) love it.

If you have a taste for all things fruity then you should head to one of London's fine-dining Indian restaurants and find out what "fruity little numbers" are on the menu.

How to Avoid Yelling at Child

>> Jul 10, 2014

image:slate.com

When a child acting up, and you are not patient enough to deal with, it most likely that you will response by yelling angrily. How to restrain angry? Often snapping at a child may give bad effect on the development of child’s attitude. He could imitate you and will often yell either to you or people around him. You certainly do not want kids to be so. For that, you should avoid shouting though you're so angry at him.

There are several ways that you can do to warn the child without having to yell and scream:

1.Teach your child to well behave

If the child starts acting up, position yourself as high as your child then you see his eyes. Talk to your child if his manner is not good and should be corrected. Teach how he should behave. This method is more striking in children than you shout to warn him.

2.Give effective punishment.

If above way is not successful and even the child throwing a tantrum, inevitably you have to give him punishment. Ask him to sit in the corner of the penalty for a few minutes, until the emotions of you and him go down. Then just talk nice to him, don’t forget to express your affection for him.

3.Give warning.

Emphasize to three times what he should do. Research shows a person would take seriously a warning if submitted at least three times. Ask also the reason why he changed, so you can figure out the cause. Your child will feel valued and his opinion is listened.

Why Smokers Have Bad Breath?

>> Jul 8, 2014

Perhaps this question is often thought of you who has a friend or spouse who likes to smoke. Nowadays, unfortunately, not only men who smoke, many women also like smoking. Cigarette smoke may disturb others who don’t smoke. Not only that, every time a smoker talks or just breathes nearby, the smell of his breath always distinctive and certainly disturbing.

image:vapourlites.com

The negative effect of smoking is already much discussed. Smoker’s bad breath is what will be discussed this time. Even if in the end the smoker decides to quit smoking, he would still have the problem of bad breath. Why? Cigarette basically makes your mouth dry. It may increase the amount of plaque on the teeth. Plaque that sticks to the teeth, whether consciously or not, have an unpleasant smell. Plaque can be reduced by brushing teeth regularly but can’t remove it. Stacks of plaque will cause tartar.

Imagine if the plaque that sticks to the teeth is spreading. Accumulation of plaque not only makes bad breath but will also accelerate the decay and loss of teeth. Well, these plaques alone cause bad breath. Especially when coupled with the habit of smoking. Tar and nicotine from cigarettes will be left in many places in oral cavity. No wonder if the smell of the mouth of a smoker is so distinctive and very smelly.

So, what to do? Some suggested ways are:

1. If you are a smoker or just quit smoking and want to overcome bad breath, you should immediately visit the dentist. Why visiting dentist? It’s because only dentist who can clean the plaque left on the mouth. Accumulated plaque or tartar can’t be cleaned simply by teeth brushing alone. It needs special equipment that owned by dentists to overcome.

2. Additionally, regular brushing needs to be done and terminated by rinsing using mouthwash. The mouthwash is very effective in preventing the presence of plaque in the mouth.

3. Habit of chewing sugarless gum is also quite effective in reducing bad breath. While chewing gum, a lot of saliva will be coming out so that the mouth is not too dry. As explained earlier, a dry mouth makes an increase in the amount of plaque in the mouth.

Hope you already understand the cause of smoker’s bad breath. So, once you notice it, take immediate action to avoid further disturbance.