The Alphonso mango, an integral part of the culinary heritage of Maharashtra has finally been given its due, with the official Geographical Identity tag.
The King of Mangoes, an exclusive variety confined to the Konkan coast (Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad districts) has been given the GI (Geographical Identity) tag. This implies that no other mango variety from any other region can fake the `Alphonso’ tag. This practise has been the bane of consumers for a long while now.
This is thanks to the sustained efforts of farmers and agricultural scientists who appealed to the Controller General of Patents, Design and Trade Marks, under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, to give it the tag of uniqueness akin to Darjeeling Tea.
The use of ‘Aamras’ (extracted pulp from these fresh mangoes), is almost an obsession for the Maharashtrian household and finds pride of place on the menu through the months of April and May.
The wholesale market Gultekdi in Marketyard is crawling with scores of Puneites meandering through trucks and tempos first thing in the morning to reach the mango stalls to buy crates and boxes of mangoes. The two dozen boxes are a relatively new addition thanks to the rising number of nuclear families. Traditionally. they were bought in multiple dozens packed in wooden crates.
This actually poses an opportunity for the authorities to see this seasonal trend and use it effectively as a cultural event that sees Puneites shopping for their favourite fruit. But sensitivity to art and culture is a rate train among our netas so this will remain yet another piped dream that is left untapped.
I remember from my childhood days, how extracting the pulp from the mangoes was carried out with much gusto and passion. My mother soaked the mangoes for a couple of hours in the water (to diffuse the heat ) before extracting the pulp.
A few of us would sit in a circle, fleshing out the pulp into a large bowl. This was very process driven starting with the pulp from the skin being removed. Next came the pulp around the seeds that would go into a smaller bowl to which a little milk would be added.
Seasoned with salt and pepper, this gastronomic delight would then be skilfully stirred before it is served in small bowls that were constantly replenished till your stomach ached with delight…
Today, one may see several variations to the extraction process, but the heavenly Aamras continues to rule the roost in the Maharashtrian home.
It does not stop at just that one meal. All through the day, family members of every age, take to eating mangoes. It’s almost as though it is intoxicating with the only difference being that this is a safe addiction and one that is packed with Vitamins and micronutrients.
Some may worry about mangoes adding to body weight, but for a true connoisseur of the Alphonso, this remains folklore that is best ignored!
Reports suggest that Portuguese used grafting techniques on mango trees to produce extraordinary varieties like the Alphonso. The Alphonso Mango is believed to be named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese General and military expert who built Portuguese colonies in India. For the record, over 60,000 metric tonnes of Alphonso mangoes are exported every year
Selecting the ‘Hapus’ ( Alphonso as it is known locally) is in itself a well cultivated trait. It’s got a distinct aroma that the seasoned nose can’t miss. Pune lacks the deep orange (kesri) variety though, thanks to most of it being exported to UAE and Europe that lifted their 2014 ban on imports of mangoes from India.
I recollect seeing a report from The New York Times quoting Keith Vaz, (a British Parliamentarian of Indian origin), who quipped on how all this was nonsense and that Indian mangoes have been imported to Britain for centuries. He apparently had two boxes of Alphonso mangoes delivered to 10 Downing Street, the residence of the (then) Prime Minister, David Cameron to draw his attention to this issue.
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#All views expressed in this column are those of the Authors and Pune365 does not necessarily subscribe to them.
That's Vinita Deshmukh, Senior journalist and RTI activist who believes in journalism that reflects the views and needs of the common man.
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