Mango Mania
Joydip Sur
Summer in this part of the world is almost synonymous with the juicy, dripping golden yellow mango, which has stolen the hearts of kings and commoners alike and is aptly called, the ‘king of fruits’. As the mercury soars the Alphonso from Western shores, Chausa and Dusseri from North and the more tasty but with a shorter shelf life – Himsagar, Langra , Begumphully, Lakshmanbhog from our very own Murshidabad and Malda – are proud displays of every fruit seller. The green mango is a favourite in the family kitchen for aam pora sherbet, aamer tok, aamer aachar, gur aam, aam kasundi and many more while the ripe juicy variety is perfect for shakes and dessert. For the more adventurous mango aficionados, the chefs at various hotels and restaurants across the city are rolling up their sleeves to prepare delightful dishes with the king of fruit casted in the lead role not only for fruity desserts but also in the main course, cocktails and mocktails.
Recently a leading five-star hotel in the city held a two-week long Mango Mania at their Pastry Shop. Their Bakery Chef ensured that their patrons were spoilt for choices. To entice the palate of mango lovers, the Pastry Shop had introduced a scrumptious mango mousse, mango cheesecake, mango tiramisu slice, mango muffin, among many other mango flavoured delicacies.
And if the thought of such yellow deliciousness sweeps you off your feet, maybe it is time to indulge in a surfeit of it. Go on the rounds of the city’s restaurants to titillate your taste buds with mango delicacies like bhagara aam aur baingan, tandoori paneer and mango chutney rolls, jerk chicken and mango salad, grilled lobster with mango salsa and mango mascarpone tartlet.
Even the confectioners cash in on the mango madness by introducing special mango range of sweets, desserts, mousse, pastries, puddings and cakes, with fresh mango slices on top. Kookie Jar has introduced a range of mango flavoured items this season while Bhim Nag’s aam sandesh and Paramount’s green mango sherbet are huge favourites among their patrons. Nandalal Ghosh’s aam doi has hundreds of sweet connoisseurs queuing up in front of their shop every single day from May to July.
Mangoes are also extensively used in sherbet joints across Calcutta to prepare mango flavoured smoothies, juices, coolers and lassi. Mango is also used in preserves like aamer moramba, aamchur and pickles, including a spicy mustard-oil pickle. Ripe mangoes are often cut into thin layers, desiccated, folded, and then cut.
Sweet glutinous rice is flavoured with coconut, and then served with sliced mangoes as a dessert. In some Anglo-Indian homes, mangoes are pickled with fish sauce and rice vinegar. In fact green mangoes are extensively used in mango salad with fish sauce and dried shrimp. Mango with condensed milk is often used as a topping for shaved ice.
Quite clearly the mango connoisseurs of Calcutta will be pampered beyond measure this season. So, have your mangoes as you please — diced into fashionable low-calorie salads, pureed into delicious soup, cooked as part of enterprising entrees or served as toppings on ice-creams and desserts. Don’t forget to quench your thirst for mangoes with some mango-flavoured daiquiris, martinis, margaritas and vodkas. So go ahead and indulge yourself in this culinary delight to savour the distinctive and incredible experience with the king of fruits.
