Mango Season
While the heat may be terrible at times, we will get to see the Monsoon arrive, and we will be in India during the peak of the Mango season!
The first Mogul emperor, Babur, kept a diary which has been translated into English. Here is what he has to say about the mango:
"When the mango is good it is really good. As many as are eaten, the really good ones are scarce. Mostly they are picked unripe and allowed to ripen at home. The unripe mango serves as condiment for meals, and preserves made from it are also excellent. In fact, the mango is the best fruit of Hindustan. The tree is elegantly tall, but the trunk of the tree is ugly and ill shaped. Some people praise the mango to such an extent that they prefer it to all fruit except the melon, but it is not so good as to warrant such praise. The mango resembles the kardi Peach, and ripens during the monsoon. There are two ways to eat it. One is to mash it to a pulp, make a hole in it, and suck the juice. The other is to peel it like a peach and eat it. Its leaf somewhat resembles a peach leaf. Good mangos are found in Bengal and Gujarat" from The Baburnama, Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. Translated by Wheeler Thackston.
The big three in Mangos are
1. Langra - from Benaras
2. Dussheiri - from Lucknow
3. Alphonso or Haphoos from Gujarat/Mumbai
One can get an upset stomach from eating too many mangos. A mango with a chappati or a paratha or puri is great for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. More than three a day is not advised.
