Varieties of Mangoes – On the trail of the Indian Mango

Aam Sutra – On the trail of the Indian Mango

The shape is perfection personified, each curve sharply accentuating every contour and the colour of the body a visual treat to the senses. A hint of unbridled passion envelops the luscious body with the promise of a juicy encounter as I am teasingly tempted. I succumb to temptation and give in to the hegemony of my senses. I take a deep breath, and I am intoxicated by the heavenly aroma, and then I gently sink my teeth into this exotic creation of God. What did you think I was doing? I was doing what millions of people in India and other Asian countries have been doing every summer for ages. I was eating a MANGO! In India, there are several varieties of Mangoes that are available across different parts of the country.

Varieties of Mangoes

Come summer and this king of fruits holds sway like no other over the hearts and minds of people. Markets are a sea of green and yellow/orange as the luscious fruit occupies pride of place.

Some Juicy Mango Facts

  • The Mango is a juicy stone fruit that belongs to the genus Mangifera
  • The Mango originated in South East Asia and India, references to mangoes in Hindu writings that date back to 4000 B.C.
  • India is the largest producer of Mangoes in the world and 42.2 % of the mangoes produced in the world are produced in India
  • Mangoes are cultivated over 1.23 million hectares of land in India
  • Mangoes occupy a special place in Hindu religion and culture, Mangoes are used as offering to deities and Mango leaves are used to decorate houses on all auspicious occasions like festivals, weddings, etc..

Mind-Boggling Varieties of Mangoes

In India you are spoilt for choice when it comes to varieties of Mangoes, there are thousands of varieties of Mangoes that are available here across different parts of the country. The rich diversity of the country is epitomized by the rich variety of Mangoes.

Come,  join us on a juicy journey to discover the richest and exotic varieties of Mangoes across the length and breadth of India.

Our first port of call has got to be Ratnagiri, situated in Maharashtra, one of the western states of India. Ratnagiri is the home of the famed ALPHONSO Mango. This is the most expensive variety of Mango and is unparalleled in terms of its taste and flavor.

Varieties of Mangoes
Alphonso Mango

From here we travel further south to reach Karnataka, one of the Southern states of India where we discover a Mango known as Badami. The texture and taste of this fruit are quite similar to the Alphonso and hence it is also known as Karnataka Alphonso.

Varieties of Mangoes
Badami Mango

As we move further south and reach the state of Andhra Pradesh, we shall yield to the tempting sweetness of the Banganapalli Mango which is also available in most of the other southern states.

Varieties of Mangoes
Banganapalli Mango

We next take a U-turn and take a leap to the historic city of Varanasi in the northern part of India where the luscious LANGRA Mango awaits to enthrall us with its sweet and juicy flavor. Though originally from Varanasi, this variety is now available across North India, including Delhi.

Varieties of Mangoes
Langra Mango

From Varanasi we head towards Lucknow which was the seat of power of the Nawabs in the 18th and 19th centuries, to taste the succulent CHAUNSA Mango. This variety of Mango is abundant in Pakistan but is also cultivated near Hardoi located near Lucknow. Chaunsa literally means ‘Sucker’, and it refers to the act of sucking out the juice from this mango which is very fleshy and has a unique aroma.

Varieties of Mangoes
Chaunsa Mango

Onward we march on our Mango trail and reach the remote village of Dashehari in Malihabad district in Uttar Pradesh, a northern state of India. This village is the birthplace of the famous DASHEHARI Mango, and the original mother tree which is over 200 years still stands. The region of Malihabad is abundant in this variety of Mangoes which are now available across Northern India. The Dashehari Mango deceives by its appearance as it has a green skin but when you bite into it you are transported into a different world on the wings of its sweetness.

Varieties of Mangoes
Dashehari Mango

Let us head back southwards again to experience the sweetness of another unique variety known as TOTAPURI Mango, which is found mainly in Karnataka and other southern states. These mangoes are different from your normal mangoes in terms of appearance, they are sleeker and longer and around 7 inches in length. The colour of these mangoes ranges from green to yellow to a reddish hue. This mango is a personal favorite, but I prefer to eat it raw. You can experience Mango Nirvana when you partake slices of a fresh raw mango of this variety sprinkled with salt and chilly powder. The sweet and sour taste of the mango combined with the salt and chilly flavors is sure to set off a thousand bells in your mind and your palate will be left asking for more!

Varieties of Mangoes
Totapuri Mango

Before we lose all sense of time and place and are completely drowned in the heady tastes and aromas of these mind-boggling varieties of mangoes, let us bring our juicy journey to an end, however, let me tell you that this indeed is just the tip of the iceberg! There are still hundreds of varieties of Mangoes out there waiting to be discovered!

How to eat your Mango and have it too!

The beauty of this luscious fruit does present a dilemma, to eat it or keep it?

However, it is a foregone conclusion that the fruit is too tempting to let go and one ends up devouring it and experiencing bliss. There are many ways this fruit, a gift to the tongue can be eaten I mention a few modes by which you can have this heavenly experience.

  • The simplest form of pleasure is to simply wash the fruit cleanly and cut off the tip after which the world belongs to you and your fruity mate. A useful tip to remember here is that you may want to remove the skin or eat the fruit with the skin, the skin may be tasteless or bitter based on the Mango variety
  • Cool off with a cold glass of Mango juice or Mango milk shake or a Mango Lassi which is a blend of ripe mangoes, yogurt and sugar
Milk shake
Mango Milk shake
Juice
Mango Juice
  • Taste a scoop of heaven when you dig into a bowl of Mango ice cream
 Icecream
Mango Icecream
  • If you want to spice up your Mango experience, give your tongue a sizzling experience with some spicy pickle made out or raw Mangoes
Pickle
Mango Pickle

There are numerous other ways you can experience the magic of mangoes, you may check out some mango based recipes here.

I do hope you have enjoyed our magical journey on the trail of the magical mangoes of India.

Have you experienced the Mango Magic, do share your experiences through your comments.

Did you like this post about the varieties of Mangoes? If you love food then you might also be interested in reading our other posts related to food.

Indian food you should definitely try in your lifetime

Authentic Indian Sweets – An ecstasy for the tongue

A Vegetarian Dinner in Zurich

6 Survival secrets of a Vegetarian Traveler

Aam Sutra – On the trail of the Indian Mango

Aam Sutra – On the trail of the Indian Mango

 

56 thoughts on “Varieties of Mangoes – On the trail of the Indian Mango”

      1. Nicely explained Aam Sutra. Loved to read it. Thanks. One suggestion please mention about Kesar mango of Gujarat.

  1. Oh, I thought mangoes are common even outside of Asia. In the Philippines it’s a common fruit, and same as in India, we have different varieties of that as well – from sweet to sour, from soft to crunchy. Spicy mango pickle is something new, I’ll take that in mind and perhaps look for a recipe online.

  2. Mango is one of my favorite fruits! You can put it anywhere and I’d eat it, salsa, ice cream shake, juice, you name it. Dried mango is my favorite snack. In our country, we pair the green and sour mango with bagoong. It tastes absolutely delicous.

  3. I didn’t realize India has so many varieties of mangoes. It is my favorite fruit and with summer around the corner, I can’t wait to buy some specially after this post!

  4. I had no idea mangos were such a big thing in India or that there are so many varieties! Exciting though because I think they are tasty and delicious 🙂

  5. I love love love Mangoes!! Although I haven’t tried an Indian mango variety before so it was interesting to read the different types. Have you ever tried an Australian mango? Delicious!

  6. This is my favorite fruit but I adored more of the green ones! 😀 I like the ripe mangoes too but there’s no thrill on eating that. Heh!

  7. I didn’t realize there were so many typs of mangoes. We only ever see two types here in the USA, so this was a great eye-opener… and motivation to seek out my favorite fruit!

  8. I definitely feel like I have learnt some interesting facts about mangos now! I knew there were different kinds but was not aware that there are so many. Thanks for sharing!

  9. Haha I was in stitches laughing at the beginning! 😂 I haven’t tasted fresh mango but love dried mango as a snack. It’s fascinating that references to mangoes in Hindu writings that date back to 4000 B.C.E.

  10. Haha! I LOVED the intro to this post! That was hilarious! I never knew all of these facts about mangos, but I do know that I enjoyed my fair share of mangos while backpacking SE Asia last year (sliced mangoes & mango milkshakes were my favorite) . I also found it really interesting that they’ve played such a role in Hinduism! Thanks for sharing these tasty facts!

  11. An article after my heart ! I just love mangoes and its various uses. You missed Aam panna – a mango drink made from raw mangoes that helps beat the heat ! So mangoes are used in raw forms as well as enjoyed ripe. Yummmm !

  12. I love all varieties of mango, especially the ripe ones. My most favorite are the ones from my home province in the Philippines – the Sulu Islands. We have a variety that cannot be found in other places. We call it Mampallam, no English Name, I think, since it’s not popular but it’s absolutely delicious, sweet and juicy that we don’t peel the skin, we just have to bite a hole at its tip and draw the juice out with our mouth and sip the juice. Hmmm Yummy!

  13. Could you please extend this list by including other less known but delectable tasting mangoes as well. It should be possible to list all varieties of mangoes grown in India that can serve as a comprehensive guide to the readers.

Leave a Reply to Bharat Bahl Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.