Blazing sunshine, then dark clouds gathering in the blink of an eye: this is how the mood of Sharat, the autumn season, shows itself in nature. White clouds and clusters of kash flowers seem to decorate the whole world, which is why Sharat is called the queen of seasons.

The season does more than adorn nature; it also brings a range of tasty fruits. They contain vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, which is very effective in boosting immunity. People who often catch colds or fever can build up their immunity through seasonal fruits. So keep seasonal fruits such as kodbel (wood apple), jolpai (olive), amra (hog plum), chalta (elephant apple) and karamcha within reach and on your menu.

This sour fruit contains plenty of vitamin C. It has a hard outer shell, and like other bael-type fruits it contains fibre, a good deal of protein and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins B1 and B2. It is both tasty and good for the body: kodbel keeps the liver healthy and helps keep the heart working. Ripe kodbel is also well known mashed as a bhorta.

This small, round green fruit is full of nutrients. A single olive gives you plenty of antioxidants as well as vitamin C. Green olives can be cooked, and pickles and bhorta made from ripe olives are also popular. Many people make olive pickle and keep it in glass jars to store it all year round.

Amra is a fleshy, fibrous fruit with a thin skin. One amra easily gives you carbohydrates, protein and vitamin C. You can cook it or preserve it as pickle for the whole year.

This South-East Asian fruit is also very familiar in Bangladesh. Chalta juice is very good for fever and cold-related problems, and it is unmatched for mouth sores and for colds with bloody dysentery.

Seasonal fruits carry disease-fighting properties that protect you from illness and strengthen the body's immune system. So keep at least one seasonal fruit on your menu and stay healthy in every season.

Source: Jugantor. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.