The King of Fruit, mango. is available in the country every summer, though the trees that bear this yummy fruit are lusciously green all year round, and the fruit is at it’s harvesting stage only in the peak of summer. Mangoes are available in over 1000 different varieties all over the world. It is said that the hotter the summer, the sweeter the fruit. So how many varieties of our national fruit do you think we have in India?
Mangoes were cultivated initially from a forest in Assam and Myanmar (Burma). In fact, almost 50% of the world’s mangoes come from India; we produced almost 18 million tonnes of mangoes in 2013. Whew! That’s a lot of mangoes.
In India, there are many varieties. Here’s our pick of the best Indian mangoes you must not miss this summer.
Alphonso
The Alphonso mango or Hapus aam as it’s called in India, grows in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
It grows to the perfect golden yellow color and taste wise is the best flavor, with just the right sweetness and tart.
Banganapalli
The Began Phali, more commonly known as Banganapalli, grows in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
This mango has got it’s name from Banganapalle town in Andhra Pradesh. It’s a rather weirdly shaped mango, is obliquely oval shaped, has thin skin and pale yellow flesh.
This is a mango that probably has the least amount of fibres.
Chausa
The Chausa mango is generally available towards the end of the mango season (July-August).
This tropical fruit is grown mostly in Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
It is most definitely the sweetest mango that are produced in the country.
Dussehri
The Dussehri mango hails from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. They are very aromatic and the aromas tend to lure you into gorging on the sweet taste as well.
Dussehri is also a fiber-less mango, has kind of an elongated shape and is greenish yellow in color.
Kesar
Have you heard of Aamras? If yes, then Kesar is no stranger to you.
This mango variety is golden yellow in color, with juicy pulp and a fragrant hint of saffron and hence the name Kesar!
This mango is famous in Gujarat and is used in their cooking as well in both sweet and savory dishes.
Totapuri
Totapuri or poly-beak is grown and harvested mostly in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
It is the most easily noticeable mango in India. The name is derived from the shape of the fruit, which resembles a parrot’s beak.
This mango though sweet in taste is usually used to make chutneys, pickles, drinks and even acts as a fab addition to salads.
So how about an all India road trip, just to sink your teeth in these?
