Mango Meri Jaan

No summer passes by in India without indulging in the golden madness of the mangoes. As if mirroring the spirit of the sun, every street gets decked yellow with a wide variety of them. It’s not just any fruit, after all. The sweet fragrance in the air never fails to turn heads; it carries itself into households effortlessly, and traces of it still remain upon the palms freshly licked.

India has almost a romantic zest for mangoes. From its bark to the ripened pulp, there is a place for each in our lives. The mango tree is a mark of auspiciousness, love, and passion. Many festivals and rituals start with tying a string of mango leaves at the entrance. The sour totapuris sprinkled with salt & red mirchi make memories of beaches even sweeter. The red hot pickle made with raw mangoes throws all tantrums of heat out of the door and is savored even on hot days despite sweated brows. A variety of drinks and desserts are made with raw and ripened mangoes. More interesting ones are those where ripened mangoes are used to make savory dishes like Gujarati mango kadhi, Goan mango sasav, Kerala’s pulissery, etc.

The word mango was thought to be originated from the Tamil word maam(mango tree)-kay(fruit), which in Malayalam was maanga which became the Portuguese manga, and turned into the English mango. India alone produces over 1000 varieties of mango! This article is about a small subset of them. Keep reading to know what they taste like, as the locals describe.

It's mind-blowing to know that the mangoes of India have such a plethora of flavors, textures, and colors. The history of each kind is a story of its own. Let's start with the one whose taste recently captured me so much.

DASHERI/DUSSEHRI

Dasheri Mother Tree

Dasheri mangoes pack a punch of flavor in their dark yellow pulp. They are small and oval-shaped in appearance. This fragrant, greenish mango is native to Dashehari Village, UP, where the 200-year mother tree is still alive and bears fruits every other year. It is also preserved as a place of heritage.

CHAUNSA

Chaunsa, Source: Wiki

The golden, juicy chaunsa has a sweer aroma and is fiber-less. It is harvested around June-August. It derives its name from the battle won by Sher Shah Suri in Chausa (Bihar) against Humayun in the 1500s.

RASPURI

"Mangoes in Bengaluru meant only Raspuri. No lunch was complete without being handed a full Raspuri for dessert.

Etiquettes aside, we would each find our own ways to savour them. Mine was to gently squeeze the Raspuri until such time as one can drink the squishy pulp. That done, the skin of the mango will next be peeled and scraped with expert use of one's incisors, for any little pulp that may have refused to be coaxed out as juice. Like the crescendo of a musical, enjoying the Raspuri takes one to a gastronomic high that can rarely be matched.

The entire process of enjoying the Raspuri is, of course, not all that clean as invariably the pulp would flow down every side of the hand. There was only one thing to be done; table manners are excused, which would be to, as often as required, lick it up. After all, one can hardly waste a drop of such divine nectar. At the end of the lunch, there was just a satisfied soul and a seed that promised many more Raspuris in the time to come!"

Venu Dorairaj from Bengaluru

HIMSAGAR

"Do you know the feeling one has when their crush looks at them, holds eye contact, and smiles? You don't? Well, neither do I. But one sure-shot way of getting very close to that heavenly feeling is by having some Himsagar mango. The smooth, fiberless texture, the rich yellowish-orange hue, and the indescribable aroma make Himsagar the king of all mangoes (Alphonso apologists are not welcome here). A piece of Himsagar will glide on your tongue and leave an aftertaste sweeter than a lover's kiss.

The less known Fazli mangoes of West Bengal also have their own charm. The cheaper cousin of the Himsagar comes in large sizes and is not just used as a fruit but also for making chutneys and pickles. One mango can each weigh up to a kilo and is around even around in the market during monsoon to satiate some late-season mango cravings."

Sweta Basu from Kolkata

NUZVEEDU RASALU

Chinna rasalu, Source: nuzveedumangoes.com

"These mangoes, grown majorly in the coastal regions of Andhra, are infamous for their juicy, rich texture and their breathtaking hit of sweetsour flavor in one's mouth. Though Banganapalli mangoes are more readily available, rasalu hold a special value in people's hearts. There are chinna(small), pedda (large) and cheruku (like sugarcane) rasalu available locally. My most favorite kind are the chinna rasalu as they are stunning in flavor and less fibrous than pedda rasalu. There is no way one can eat it sophisticatedly. You have to ground yourself cross-legged, use both your hands and lick the dripping juice in time before it hits the ground. The catch here is that there is a great chance one's eyes would be closed in ecstasy while savoring this mango."

Ramya M from Bhadrachalam

ALPHONSO/HAPUS

Describing the feeling of biting into a freshly cut slice of haapus aamba is a nostalgic process. A single bite is composed of sweet golden juice, the taste of a benevolent sun, and soft mango-ness gushing in your mouth. It reminds me of warm summer afternoons, where after lunch, a plate of mango slices will emerge from the kitchen. No matter how heavy the lunch, a separate mango belly always exists to gulp down the mangoes. My love for the Alphonso is so strong that I have a scar to show for it. One summer, I relentlessly consumed mango after mango until angry boils appeared around my eyes. One of the boils left behind a small scar under my eyebrow. Did that stop me from eating mangoes the following summer? Or the summer after that? No. Never. To be honest, I am glad my love for mangoes is forever etched into me - an unforgettable reminder of the lengths I will go to for just one more haapus.

Saee Patkar from Mumbai

MALLIKA

This mango has an exceptionally sweet taste and aroma and surprising citrusy melon notes that hit you as you swallow a bite (especially near the seed). It is also a hybrid between Neelum and Dasheri mangoes.

SINDHOORI

Sindhoori(a) mangoes are round and have a tinge of beautiful saffron color on their skin. It is famous in Karnataka & TN. It is also called the 'honey mango' because of its heavenly sweet taste.

GIR KESAR

Coming from Gujarat, this mango is sought after for its golden saffron-colored skin and juicy sweet taste. Also considered the 'Queen of Mangoes', this mango is used commonly in the famous 'aamras' and many exotic dishes.

Kesar, Source: suryamegh.com

KOBBARI MAMIDI

In contrast to the sugar-sweet mangoes in the market, coming from Kothapalli, AP, Kobbari Mamidi (Coconut mango) has a coconut-ty taste and crunch with a slightly sour note. It is savored with sprinkling salt and red mirchi on top.

Kobbari mamidi, Source:wordsmithkaur

GULAB KHAS

A coveted mango in Bihar, UP, etc., with blushing pink skin and a complex flavor with floral undertones of rose, Gulab Khas has sweet, non-fibrous pulp and is used to make desserts.

Gulab Khas, Source: Praveensingh176

What's your favourite? :)

By: Ramya Mudumba