SEVERAL SUMMERS BACK, I HAD hired a car from Mumbai, hitting the road to Ratnagiri and Devgad, on the trail of the famed Alphonso mango. If you go by local lore, there are mangoes, and then there is the Alphonso. Or, as it is locally known, the hapus. Loyalists swear by its rich, creamy smoothness (without a hint of fibre) and subtle notes of sweetness. It is a deep orange, almost saffron colour and tastes phenomenal.
During its brief season in the Indian summer, the obsession around the Alphonso is at par with Bollywood and cricket. Mothers send petis (cartons) to married daughters' homes to sweeten up the in-laws. Hot afternoons are punctuated by cries of "haaapuuus" floating through open windows. Markets seem to take on the bright red and yellow hue of piled-up Alphonso mangoes. Restaurants serve every kind of dish, as the mango's smooth flesh and honeyed flavour lends itself to a variety of sweet and savoury dishes and drinks. People go into overdrive making things that help preserve their precious Alphonso stock for the rest of the year-ambapoli/aam papad (mango fruit leather); amboli (sweet dried mango used in curries); aam ras; aamrakhand (mango shrikhand), and more.
The mango season in India stretches from April to July, and of the more than 1,000 varieties that hit the markets, the much-coveted Alphonso is king. The ones most in demand are those from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and adjoining areas in Maharashtra. They are considered to be the best and acquired a GI tag in October 2018.
Everyone Loves the King
Denne historien er fra June - July 2023-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June - July 2023-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Chutneys For Every Season
GROWING UP IN JHARKHAND, I've always been enchanted by the state's culinary landscape. Here, the local cuisine never fails to surprise with its depth and variety.
BADGE OF HONOUR
IN THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE of tourism, where greenwashing often taints sustainability, certifications can help distinguish between genuine efforts and marketing gimmicks. Green certification systems encourage businesses to enhance their environmental credentials.
WHEELS OF TIME
IN 1947, TRAINS CARRYING REFUGEES ACROSS THE BORDER WERE SYMBOLIC OF THE TUMULT OF THE PARTITION.
RAILS OF THE Raj
FROM ITS CONCEPTION TO ITS ROLE IN THE NATION'S HISTORY, THE BRITISH INDIAN RAILWAYS IS A PHENOMENON MARKED AS MUCH BY MARVEL AS AVARICE
THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD
FROM THE RAILROAD THRILLER MISS FRONTIER MAIL 1936) TO SHAH RUKH KHAN DANCING ON A TRAIN IN DIL SE' 1998), TRAINS HAVE GIVEN UNFORGETTABLE SONG SEQUENCES TO MANY HINDI FILMS
MEMORY'S OASIS
REMEMBRANCES OF GROWING UP IN SEALDAH RAILWAY OFFICERS COLONY IN KOLKATA
A FAREWELL × TO FLAVOURS
FROM CUTLETS AND RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY IN DINING CARS TO THE UNREMARKABLE FARE AVAILABLE TODAY, THE JOURNEY OF FOOD ON THE INDIAN RAILWAY IS FASCINATING
HERITAGE ON THE TRACKS
THE ICONIC DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY, FONDLY CALLED THE TOY TRAIN,' HAS HELD ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS SINCE 1999
HIDDEN LIVES
SPANNING 65,000 KILOMETRES THROUGH DENSELY POPULATED INDIA, THE RAILWAYS ARE A BACKDROP TO COUNTLESS STORIES. 'THE UNRESERVED' BY FILMMAKER SAMARTH MAHAJAN CAPTURES A FEW
JOURNEYS WITHIN AND WITHOUT
FOR IMTIAZ ALI, TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE TRANSFORMATIVE, OFFERING GLIMPSES OF INDIA'S DIVERSE SOCIETY AND ITS MANY CULTURES AND RELIGIONS
