Sirindada ,Rapakot ,Syanjga

I remember my mom belongs to Daramuni area of Sirindada ,Rapakot ,Syangja,the above house owner used to be called Burharhe Khalak,Chautare,and the house at below had Biraute ,on the corner of right side on the exact land by the way of Sirindada where exactly my mom was born was near to home of Fulbaree Sirindada.So ,these are the typical name to given our ancestars to refer in daily life,my grandfather was named farsee and we children laugh at their nicknames.When my dear maiju and went to Rapakot school and nearby river to take bath because the area was the resource of water and I used to enjoy a lot .I know mamaji , who used do lots of fishing and used to prepare the ingredients for it and we used  to have.He was very handsome youth and unmarried and used to work too much there.

There is still some bamboo plants near my moms birthplace on the right side of the ways to Rapakot school of Sirindada and I noticed the land is very beautiful.They used bamboo shoots to make pickle and made various pickles using the classic citrus salad dish, especially made during the winter season  -  sweet, sour, tangy dish, adorned by dry-roasted sesame seeds, salt, sugar, yogurt, chili and several other spices.  We call it "Bhogate Saadeko or Bhogate Saandheko".It is one of the largest citrus fruit, thick-skinned and grown in subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Like grapefruit, pomelos are pink or yellow, with fibrous flesh separated into segments by membranes. The fruit is covered by a thick, tough, and loose fitting skin, which peels off easily with some effort.  Bhogate is abundant in the winter months (December-January) in Nepal. Even though this salad-like fruit dish is probably hard to find in Katmandu restaurant menus, it is a great favorite of Nepalese. The preparation of the refreshing salad is a leisurely family affair. Typically, family members, relatives, and friends gather in the sunniest part of the house, usually the top open floor (kausi) or the sunny part of the garden or porch area, on a warm sunny day. A large amount of pomelos are brought in and everyone helps to peel the fruit, separate it into segments, and mix with spices. 

When the green skin of pomelo starts to change to yellow, it indicates that the pomelo have ripened, and so will become juicier with best flavor. Some of the Nepali pomelo growers will not pick up the fruit from the tree, until they are fully ripened. Other growers pick the fruit while they are still light yellow-green and store it for more than a month for a better flavor before using it. 

My maiju also makes bamboo shoot pickle.Crisp and chewy bamboo shoots are freshly erupting edible culms of the bamboo plant. Young, tender shoots are a seasonal delicacy in East Asian regions, particularly in China, Taiwan, Japan and other South-East Asian countries. Several species of bamboo plants employed in the bamboo shoot farming.

The bamboo plant is a member of the grass family. After about 3-4 years of implantation, a new shoot arises from the underneath root system which is then gathered, and eaten as a vegetable. Some of the important edible species widely prevalent are Bambusa bambos, Bambusa tulda, B. polymorpha, B. balcooa, Dendrocalamus hemiltonii, D. gigentius, and Melocanna baccifera.Bamboo shoots begin to appear above the ground surface in different seasons depending upon the species. When a young, cone-shaped new shoot just appears above the soil surface, it is severed from its root attachment, generally using a spade.

On its exterior, the shoot features several layers of a sturdy casing of leaves, firmly wrapped around its central cream-white heart (meat). This prized meat is what the much sought after portion of the bamboo shoot. It is crunchy in texture and has mild yet distinctive flavor. Once boiled and cured, however, it acquires almost a neutral taste.

• Bamboo shoots are one of the very low-calorie vegetables. 100 grams of fresh cane holds just only 27 calories.
• Bamboo heart composes of moderate levels of soluble and non-soluble (NSP- non-starch carbohydrates) dietary fiber. 100 g of fresh shoots provide 2.2 grams of roughage. Dietary fiber helps control constipation conditions, decrease bad (LDL) cholesterol levels by binding to it in the intestines. Studies suggest that high-fiber diet can help cut down colon-rectal cancer risk by protecting digestive organs from the toxic compounds in the food.
• Bamboo hearts are also rich in the B-complex group of vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), and pantothenic acid those are essential for optimum cellular enzymatic and metabolic functions.
• Bamboo is useful in minerals, especially manganese and copper. Also, it has small amounts of some essential minerals and electrolytes such as calcium, iron, and phosphorus. Manganese utilized by the human body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper employed in the production of red blood cells. Iron is essential for cellular respiration and red blood cell formation.
• Bamboo shoots compose excellent levels of potassium. 100 grams of fresh shoot holds 533 mg or 11% of daily required levels of potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium.
  I just enjoy the greenery of forest there ,maiju brings wood from forest and prepares various food items  to every guest,organizes tea party for aged people in village,work in farms and 24 hours hardwork makes her tired all the day.Despite tired routine she never forgets to enjoy in festive season ,I love the pickles and other local cuisine she prepares at my visit there and we travel various area of Syangja on foo.Archaur,Dhakalthok,Arghaudi,Naudada,Jugle,Setidobhan and Arjun Chauparee are the places we go on trip with her to celebrate the festivals like Dashai and Tihar.The local bus from Pokharas stops at Syangja at 1.00 pm and we can reach Sirindada from there at 4.00 pm, the bus ride is interesting as it is easier to reach there.Reaching mawali gau,village means the festive mood for all visitor and there is lots of charm to celebrate festivals specially kool puja by Sirindada community has lots of meanings as it becomes more interesting when all male use white dhotee and gather at Kul Mandir Syangja  and offer goat and prepare dishes as prasad and perform the rituals.Like the rituals in Rapakot Temple  providing goat as offer to Goddess also attracts one much who love Sirindada,Rapakot festive season.