The Story of Wood Apple Mash and Life’s Simple Joys

Hello dear friends,
I hope you all are doing well and spending a beautiful life with your loved ones. I wish you all happiness and peace.

A few days ago, while returning from the office, I bought two wood apples from a fruit vendor by the roadside. At that moment, I had no idea these two fruits would bring such a deep sense of joy and reflection. One of them was ripe, and the other was still green. The ripe one didn’t last long — I enjoyed it that very evening, savoring its perfect blend of tangy and sweet flavors. But the unripe one, I decided to keep for later.

Days passed, and the green wood apple didn’t ripen fully. Instead, it slowly began to dry out in the corner where I had left it. Rather than throwing it away, I placed it in the sunlight for a few more days. The sun seemed to work its quiet magic, transforming it into something new — a rustic, naturally aged fruit, waiting to reveal a different flavor.

Today is my day off from work, and around noon, I finally decided to give that dried wood apple a try. I cracked it open carefully; though the inside was firm, a faint tangy-sweet aroma escaped instantly. Using a spoon, I scooped out the pulp and mixed it with a pinch of salt, some crushed dried chilies, and a little sugar — creating a homemade wood apple mash, or kathbel bhorta, as we call it in Bengali.

The very first bite surprised me — it was unlike anything I had tasted before. The mix of tanginess, spice, and sweetness felt wonderfully balanced, and I couldn’t help but smile. It made me realize something simple yet profound: happiness doesn’t always come from big, expensive things. Sometimes, it lives quietly within the small, ordinary moments of life.

In today’s fast-paced world, we often chase grand experiences — fancy restaurants, expensive vacations, or lavish celebrations — believing that’s where true joy lies. But moments like this remind me that the most genuine happiness can come from the simplest things: a dried fruit ripened by the sun, a warm cup of tea on a rainy day, or a peaceful afternoon spent at home.

That small bowl of wood apple mash carried a message — that the beauty of life lies in simplicity. You don’t need much to feel content; sometimes, just a spoonful of homemade flavor can fill your heart with warmth.

Today, as I savored that rustic taste, I felt grateful — not just for the food, but for the reminder it brought. Because true happiness isn’t about luxury or abundance. It’s about finding joy in the little things. in a spoonful of tangy-sweet wood apple mash, in a touch of sunlight,and in a heart that knows how to appreciate the simple moments of life.