Honey is a wonderful natural source for sweetening our food…nature’s gift…from the Creator, the bees, and the flowers. The bees hover around the marigolds, gathering pollen to make honey. How can the two not be a beautiful combination as they are rooted in each other. Marigold-infused honey is a combination of the beautiful golden color of honey and its sweetness with a woodsy, floral nose and a delicate citrus flavor. These flavors soaking warm delicate slices of mango are heavenly.
Monsoon Wedding Inspired Poached Mangoes with Marigold Infused Honey
Why does the film Monsoon Wedding inspire Poached Mangoes with Marigold Infused Honey? There is a three-part answer to this question.
Firstly, Marigolds:
Marigolds are a symbolic element of Indian weddings. As they are luminous and beautiful to see, they are often used as love charms in customary wedding garlands. They are mostly used in weddings depicting beauty and a sign of new beginning for the married couple. In India the Marigold flowers are also offered to the Hindu gods and is a copious famous flower of the Indian culture. You will see plenty of Marigolds used in the film in robust symbolism.
Secondly, Honey:
Honey is the universal symbol of sweetness and healing. In Hinduism, honey or Madhu, as it is called, is one of the five elixirs of immortality. In temples, honey is poured over the deities in a ritual called Madhu abhisheka. The Vedas and other ancient literature mention the use of honey as medicinal and having healing powers. As honey is frequently used as a talisman for fertility, birth, and symbol of sweetness it cannot be missed in the elements of this dish prepared in celebration of a wedding.
Thirdly, Mangoes:
As the film is titled Monsoon Wedding, we know that it takes place during Monsoon season and the rains are ever prolific in the film. The fruit of this season is Mango and I’m actually dedicating this entire month to Monsoon Mangoes, thus the choice in film for this month as well.
Monsoon Wedding the Film
A mix of comedy and chaotic melodrama unites a Punjabi family for a wedding. Relatives from all over the world descend on Delhi during the summer monsoon season for the preparations of the arranged marriage of a modern upper-middle-class Indian family’s only daughter, Aditi. As the wedding day nears, cultures and families clash in Mira Nair’s exuberant Monsoon Wedding.
A stressed father with hidden financial burdens is trying to see that his daughter Aditi’s wedding goes off without a hitch. Though familiar with Western ways, he has little patience with them and is dead set on seeing the nuptials done properly and traditionally. The bride-to-be has her own share of secrets, as Aditi has been having an affair with a married TV host. She’s also never met her husband to be, who lives in Houston. Even the wedding planner has become a nervous wreck and has become smitten by the family maid. Like the monsoon rains that temper Delhi’s summer heat, this movie offers subtle surprises as well as more buried family secrets.
Universal in theme, the film explores the bonds that unite families in touching, dramatic, and comedic ways. Monsoon Wedding enchantingly captures the small, hilarious skirmishes of a culture at war with itself and the families trying to hold their ground against change.
So, sit back from the summer heat, and enjoy some sweet mangos infused with flavors of marigold and honey as you enjoy this charming film for this month’s A Fork & A Flick Friday.
Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
½ cup marigold flower petals
3 large, ripe mangoes (2 pounds), peeled and cut into thick wedges, pits reserved
1 cup water
Method
- Fill a glass jar with the petals. Heat up the honey, so it is a good, pouring consistency, then fill up the jar with it. Let cool, then screw on the lid and set aside for at least one hour before using.
- In the meantime, place the mango flesh, pits, and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium to high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes to reduce the liquid. Stir every so often, being very careful not to damage the delicate mango flesh. Remove from heat.
- Remove the mango slices only on to a serving dish and pour the marigold infused honey over it to serve.
Notes
You will need a sterilized jar large enough to hold one cup of honey.
