New Delhi: All hail the king of fruits because it is that time of the year, yes you guessed it right, the Mango season! You can now spot the yellow fruit with greenish or red tint in the fruit markets and it does not come alone, it brings along a reason of joy for everyone.
You’d be lying if you say that you don’t wait for mangoes as soon as the winters start to go away. In north India, especially in Delhi, mango is not just a fruit, it is a cultural phenomenon! In the scorching heat of Delhi, mangoes are a reason to be thankful to the summers.
In the national capital, you can spot various kinds of mangoes in the market from all around the country. There are alphonsos, dussheri, totapuri, chausa, langda and the list goes on. Some people are very particular about their favourite kind while the others like to savour all the varieties.
Also, there are different ways of enjoying your mangoes. Some people like to cut them in slices, while others enjoy slurping the pulp without removing the peel. Being from Uttar Pradesh, I have been very familiar with the latter way a lot.
Mango is the favourite of many not just because of its impeccable taste, but because of its versatility as well. There are many ways people enjoy having their mango. Some like to make aamras and enjoy that with poori, while others treat themselves with aam panna. I, for one, really enjoy aam ki meethi kathai, a dish my grandmother would make with chapatis.
Also, spotting aami (raw mango) in the market reminded me of aam ka achaar (mango pickle). My grandmother, mother and I would sit together on our terrace to cut tons of aami, remove aami ki guthli (mango kernels) and let the raw mangoes dry in scorching sun. Once the pickle spices are ready and pickle is prepared, we were all set for the entire year. Also, our refrigerator would be stacked with aami to be used in chutneys all summer long. Interestingly, my mother would use aami while cooking karela, something I am sure we all hate equally. Not gonna lie, it used to taste good!
With the season arriving again, I am all set to savour all these mango delicacies again. If you have your own unique way of enjoying mangoes, do share in the comments.
