In the blistering summer of northern India, everyone is familiar with the benefits of a soothing glass of bael juice. But the humble and drab-looking fruit’s popularity soon fades when the weather changes. In the hierarchy of the fruit kingdom, it ranks at the bottom in terms of appeal and is nowhere in the reckoning with a star like the mango.
Bael however may be poised for better recognition and indications are that it could be on the verge of a Cinderella moment. Far from public view, several agricultural scientists in India have been developing new varieties of bael that, though not more attractive than the original, are larger and juicier and offer possibilities for commercial processing.