Monsoon is closing and the market is turning over. Here is what is genuinely good this fortnight, and what is worth waiting a few weeks for.
The end of monsoon is one of the better moments of the fruit year in Chhattisgarh. Pears are at their peak, pineapple is still excellent and cheap, and the first decent guavas are beginning to appear at the wholesale market in the early hours.
What is not worth buying yet: oranges. They are arriving, but the early lots are thin-skinned and sharp. Give them another three or four weeks and they will be worth the money. Same story with pomegranate — the good Maharashtra stock has not started moving in volume yet.
If you are building a plate for the next fortnight, lean on pear, pineapple, papaya and banana. They are all at their best, all reasonably priced, and all travel well on a morning route. We will shuffle the seasonal rotation again once the winter citrus properly lands.