![]() Marks and Spencer has been selling whole mangoes for 20 years, but Britain’s relationship with the fruit is as old as its relationship with India. ![]() The alphonso mango season lasts around six to eight weeks in India and is celebrated as a festival (LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images) Reportedly around 16 million a year, worth £6m, come here from Brazil, Ecuador, Thailand, South Africa, Spain and other countries. The alphonso season is special, but India loves its mangoes so much it doesn’t let many of them escape overseas, so we import different mangoes from many countries. Most go to Indian shopkeepers around the country, and supply is irregular and quality variable, which adds to the desirability of the best specimens. You’re unlikely to find alphonso mangoes in a supermarket, unless they’re in an ice cream. “Known as the ‘king of mangoes’, the alphonso provides a sweet, soothing flavour to follow spicy food, and the perfect palate-cleanser to round off a dinner,” Mohan says. Put all of the ingredients together and whisk until it reaches a thick drinking consistency.ĭesserts include a mango and cardamom tart and a mango cheesecake, as well as mango cocktails and a mango and ginger lassi. “A mango lassi is probably the easiest way to use the alphonso mango,” says Jamavar’s Surender Mohan, “and is a really simple and refreshing drink to make at home.” A smooth and creamy mango lassi as served at London restaurant Jamavar ![]() Murg malligai, a buttermilk fried chicken dish from Tamil Nadu, comes with a raw mango pachadi, a thick hung curd from southern India, flavoured with ginger and raw mango. Chandni chowk ki aloo tikki is a pan-seared potato patty served with yoghurt, white radish, tamarind chutney and a raw mango mint chutney – with the raw mango adding some sourness to the dish. They are only available at their best when they’re in season, which makes them even more special.” Jamavar Culinary Director Surender Mohan A festival of fruitĬhef and culinary director Surender Mohan has designed some special mango dishes for the month-long festivities. ![]() “There are many different types of mangoes in India, but alphonso mangoes are known to be the best in quality due to their sweetness and richness of flavour. They’re seen as a sign of love and respect and during the season, are often sent as gifts to friends and family,” explains Samyukta Nair, Jamavar’s co-founder. “Alphonso mangoes are a national obsession in India at this time of year. Jamavar, a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in London, will treat alphonso mangoes with the same respect they receive in India this month, and is offering a special menu throughout May.Ī mango cheesecake made with malai, an Indian milk delicacy, as served at London restaurant Jamavar In India the season, which might run for six or eight weeks, is considered a festival, and people buy, eat and cook as many as they can, while trading intelligence daily on price and availability. Serious Eats recommends peeling with a very sharp Y-shaped peeler and then slicing the fruit lengthways around the seed.Ībel & Cole recommends the popular hedgehog method, and makes it look very easy. The best way to cut a mango is vertically, about a quarter inch from the centre on each side of the the fruit. In India, there are 283 varieties of mangoes, of which 30 are well known, but primarily people tend to use alphonso and payri. While the standard Kent and Keitt varieties come from many countries, the speciality fruits vary each year year and are more fragrant. M&S sells what it terms ‘standard’ and ‘speciality’ mangoes. We only eat a few varieties of mango in the UK.
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