Jamming with jamun

Jamun goes hip as chefs and bakers use it to make compote, slush, liqour and more

It is time for the overpriced blueberry and unpredictable strawberry to take a step back, the humble jamun , also called the Java plum or Indian blackberry is all set to shine. The kala jamun, the star of the season, manages to dig up some food nostalgia and findits much-needed mention in bakes, dips and more. As the ‘eat local’ campaign gathers momentum, Indian families have begun to look inwards, setting the atmosphere for food conversations around seasonal local produce. With work-from-home options being a new normal, families are taking the time to experiment with Indian seasonal delights. This could be what has put the jamun in the limelight. Discussions and social media post, especially on Facebook and Instagram, have paved the way for using the jamun in a salad, as a slush, a compote, a cake and pies. Ashish Nayak (@fooddrifter) a food influencer says the sight of a basket full of jamuns led him to casually search jamun recipes. And when he found a jamun cake that looked no different from the unicorn cake, he was amped up to continue the search. Ashish says “After having shifted to Singapore (he is currently in India for personal reasons) I missed Indian seasonal fruits and berries. So, when I saw a tokri full of neatly stacked jamuns, I just had to buy it. While snooping around on Instagram looking at jamun posts, I came across a jamun semolina by Amrita Kaur. The creativity and thought put into it were enough to make me continue to search for something that I could do in a basic kitchen. Thats when I came across a salad recipe by chef Radhika Khandelwal, whose choice of ingredients compliments the unique taste of jamun.”