Mango, mango on the plate, who's the tastiest of them all? Eat your heart out, devotees of Alphonso, Himsagar and Lyangra, connoisseurs of the king of fruits hand the crown to Banganapalli and Imam Pasand from Andhra Pradesh.
With the mango season in its epilogue and lovers of the fruit — there would be few who don’t belong to the aam aadmi club — ensuring they relish the fruit to its last drop and bite, My Kolkata scoured five major markets in Kolkata — Lake Market, Gariahat and Jadubabur Bazar in the south, New Market in central Kolkata and Mechhua wholesale bazaar in the north — to find out all about the mangoes Kolkatans get a taste of.
Banganapalli
Banganapalli opens the batting for Team Mango.
These large and fleshy mangoes from Andhra Pradesh make their appearance very late in the season. Dasrat Sonkar, a fruit seller at New Market, said, “Banganapalli mangoes are available in abundance during the months of July and August. The big, firm and yellow ones are the best.” A Banganapalli mango can weigh around 300 grams each.
Where to buy: New Market, Gariahat
Online: Big Basket, Blinkit, Instamart
Price: Rs 130 upwards per kg
Imam Pasand
Image from Wikimedia
If Banganapalli is the Sachin Tendulkar of mangoes, then joining it at the top of the order (Sourav Ganguly aka Maharaj, if you please) is Imam Pasand or Himayat from Andhra Pradesh. A premium mango that is seldom available in Kolkata, Imam Pasand usually arrives in small consignments at Mechhua. A wholesaler at the market said, "Not many people know of these mangoes. They come in small batches and are often ordered specially by mahajans and others as gifts."
Andhra Association Calcutta said that the Imam Pasand is available only till June and the price in Andhra Pradesh is around Rs 100 a kilo. The price in Kolkata varies every season.
With the assurance of a sweet mouthful, these mangoes are often mistaken for Alphonsos. Another wholesaler defined this variant as “softer and sweeter” than Alphonsos.
Where to buy: Mechhua market
Price: Rs 250-300 per kg (varies according to supply)
Dasheri
Native to Uttar Pradesh, this mango comes into Bengal from Lucknow.
Mango connoisseurs tip UP mangoes closest to the Andhra duo.
Dasheri are available in almost all markets in Kolkata from the beginning of June till August. The vendors at Gariahat market said that the tastiest Dasheri mangoes start coming in by the end of June.
Low in fibre and with a thin seed, the fresh fruit is fleshy. A good Dasheri mango is firm and bright yellow in colour with a distinct smell. Dasheri mangoes from Malihabad are the best variant.
Where to buy: Available in most markets in Kolkata
Online: Big Basket
Price: Rs 60-80 per kg
Chausa
Chausa mangoes are popular for their sweet and pulpy nature. This variety is brought to Bengal from Bihar and Lucknow. A latecomer, Chausas are among the last to arrive in the margo market.
A shopowner in Gariahat said the sweetest Chausa mangoes are available from the end of July to the beginning of August. Explaining the name, he said, "These mangoes are fun to eat when you make a small hole at the bottom of the fruit and suck the pulp out."
Where to buy: Available in all markets in Kolkata
Online: Big Basket and Blinkit
Price: Around Rs 100 per kg
Gulab Khas
The cultivation of these mangoes is widespread in India now. While some vendors say that Gulab Khas mangoes are sourced from Bihar, others said they are grown in Bengal. The speciality of this variety lies in its aroma, which resembles the sweet smell of the rose. The skin on the upper part of the fruit is red in colour, as if blushing. The flesh has thin filaments.
The variant available in the markets of Kolkata is sweet with a light yellow flesh. These mangoes are available in the market from May to July.
Where to buy: New Market, Gariahat, Lake Market, Jadubabur Bazar
Online: Big Basket, Blinkit, Instamart
Price: Rs 80-100 per kg
Alphonso
Also known as Hapus or Ratnagiri aam, this mango comes in boxes of 12. One of the costliest varieties, Alphonsos are mostly sourced from Maharashtra. Smaller shops usually don't stock up on Alphonsos because of the steep price and comparatively low demand. Prashant Sardar, a fruit seller at Gariahat market, said, Alphonsos were more popular among “non-Bengali” customers. “Small vendors like us don't keep Alhonsos because we won't be able to sell them to our regular customers. But we can get them if anyone places an order,” Sardar said.
Alphonsos have a warm sweet taste with a distinct flavour, very much like Frooti, making them a good choice for making desserts and drinks. Alphonso mangoes are available in the Kolkata market from April-end to June-end. It may be available in some shops in July, too, but most vendors said they are usually of poor quality.
Where to buy: Lake Market, Jadubabur Bazar, New Market, Gariahat
Online: Blinkit, Instamart, Big Basket
Price: Rs 100-175 per piece
Lyangra
Lyangra mangoes originated in Uttar Pradesh but are now grown in several parts of Bihar and Bengal. The markets in Kolkata are mostly ruled by Lyangra and Himsagar and mango lovers are often divided over which variety should wear the crown.
“Bhagalpuri Lyangra is the best variant we have. The Bengal variants are also good. But the ones we get from Bihar are sweeter," said Pushpendu Puria at a fruit shop in Jadubabur Bazar.
Lyangras appear in the market by May-end and are available throughout July.
Where to buy: All major markets
Online: Big Basket, Blinkit, Instamart
Price: Rs 80-120 per kg
Himsagar
This fibreless mango variant is from our very own Bengal. Himsagar mangoes available in Kolkata are cultivated in Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia and Hooghly districts. This is the most common mango available in the city. It enters the market by April-end and stays till the first week of July. However, vendors try to clear stocks before that because the mangoes available beyond the first week of July are often over-ripe and not so tasty.
According to the shopkeepers, gachhpaka Himsagars are the sweetest and the best quality available after the first shower between spring and summer.
Where to buy: All major markets
Online: Big Basket, Blinkit, Instamart
Price: Rs 40-60 per kg
Amrapali
Amrapali is a hybrid mango created by crossing Dasheri and Neelum mangoes. These mangoes are grown in West Bengal and Odisha. However, the supply in Kolkata is majorly from within the state. A fair amount of Amrapali comes from Basirhat to the Kolkata markets.
These mangoes are sweet, with an orangish pulp. The mangoes are small to medium-sized with skin remaining green even after the fruit ripens. Mid-May to end-June is usually the season for Amrapalis but fruit vendors said they are now available throughout July, too.
Where to buy: New Market, Jadubabur Bazar, Gariahat
Online: Not available
Price: Rs 40-60 per kg
Kesar
Image from Shutterstock
Kesar mangoes are grown in Gujarat and get their name from the orange pulp. This variety falls in the higher price category. A good Kesar mango is greenish yellow in colour with an extremely sweet pulp.
Amar Mondal, a fruit seller at Lake Market, said there had been a dearth in supply of these mangoes because of the weather this year. "Kesar is available between May and June but this year there was little supply. The prices are high, too. What we hear is that the uncertain weather conditions have affected the growth of these mangoes in Gujarat."
Where to buy: New Market, Jadubabur Bazar
Online: Big Basket, Blinkit, Instamart
Price: Rs 350-400 per kg
Raspuri and Totapuri
Images from Shutterstock and Wikimedia
Raspuri and Totapuri mangoes are variants grown in Karnataka. While Raspuri is a sweet variant, Totapuri is sour. Totapuri mangoes are mostly used in recipes for a tangy flavour.
These mangoes aren’t easily available in the Kolkata markets but we found some online.
Where to buy: Big Basket and Blinkit
Price: Totapuri Rs 70 per kg and Raspuri Rs 90 per kg
*Prices keep changing in the markets every few days according to demand and supply
