Jamun trees in the Indian subcontinent
Jamun tree in bloom
A Jamun tree at Study Hall school, when it was in Gulistan Colony (Lucknow) used to be abuzz with bees and ants in the Jamun season in June.
The summer harvest was easier to pick up from the ground. A spread of purple sifted and sorted by hand to make a great jar of Jamun vinegar. Hamdard Dawakhana (a brand of Unani medicine) sells Jamun sirka (vinegar), which tastes great with baby onions soaked in it. Jamun sirka is a great aid for digestion.
A Jamun tree
The Jamun tree used to be a common sight in bungalows, alongside highways and parks in Lucknow. They are big trees.
A bunch of jamun fruit
Jamun bunches
Jamun fruit is now ready for the market
Indians get Jamun as a summer treat. Rs. 5 or 10 for a cone full of Jamun, spiced with salt, is great! Phalsa is another special fruit that shares the season with Jamun. Also mangoes! It is said, one may eat a tummy full of mangoes and easily digest them if a handful of Jamuns are eaten alongside. Jamun fruit and seed are used as medicine for diabetes.
