People love rains during a summer. I don't. It is the worst thing that can happen during a summer. All it does is cool down the weather a bit, it gets humid a little later, and the mango crop is gone until the flowers get pollinated by the bees and butterflies. The weather will only get hotter, as the rains are infrequent during an Indian summer, but the mango crop is now delayed.
Mangoes are the only good thing that the summer gives us. It teaches us that everything happens for a reason, and that in the most difficult times, life has something sweet to offer.
I have tried quite a few varieties this season, but the one that made an impression on me is the Imampasand. The Imampasand is a delicate darling, with a soft skin. Its imperfect skin can be misleading. At first glance, it looks like a mango which is not valuable. The colour is yellow, with green patches, when ripe. The smell is incredible, just like any mango, and so, you can be forgiven if you think that this is an ordinary mango.
The Imampasand, according to information found on the internet, has disputed origins. Some say that it was grown in Kerala and then discovered by Humayun, and that its name is actually Humayun Pasand. On the other hand, its name translates to "The Imam's Love". In case you don't know who or what an Imam is, it is an Islamic leadership position. The Imampasand looks like a cross between a Banganapalli and a Mulgoa, (I've never seen or eaten a Mulgoa, or maybe I have, but it sure looks like a Banganapalli), so it is quite likely that this mango originated from Andhra Pradesh. The origin of this variety is lost in time.
This mango is hard to transport, because of its soft skin, and thus it costs about Rs 140 per kilogram. That works out to Rs 70 per mango. The first time I cut this mango, I was devastated. The flesh was a pale yellow rather than the deep yellow that we expect out of a good mango. But then, there was something special about this mango. The flesh near the edge is a deep yellow, but it gets pale on the inside. One bite, and I knew why this is so special. It's juicy, and there's a mix of tastes, so it doesn't bore you with a sugar hit. There's this citric tang to it that enhances the sweetness, it doesn't destroy the taste. And then, there's the aroma which I cannot describe, you just have to taste it to believe it.
The Imampasand taught me to not judge a book by its cover, and that everything has something positive and negative about it, and nothing is this world is perfect. The Imampasand is truly one of the best I have ever had, but it's soft skin makes it hard to transport and it's imperfection misleads people. Other varieties have perfect skins, and golden yellow flesh, but I'm sure they'll have some imperfections too, if you analyze them. What makes the Imampasand so special is that all the imperfections are external, the flesh, the taste and the aroma hit the spot.
That Imam was a very wise person indeed.
Mangoes are the only good thing that the summer gives us. It teaches us that everything happens for a reason, and that in the most difficult times, life has something sweet to offer.
I have tried quite a few varieties this season, but the one that made an impression on me is the Imampasand. The Imampasand is a delicate darling, with a soft skin. Its imperfect skin can be misleading. At first glance, it looks like a mango which is not valuable. The colour is yellow, with green patches, when ripe. The smell is incredible, just like any mango, and so, you can be forgiven if you think that this is an ordinary mango.
The Imampasand, according to information found on the internet, has disputed origins. Some say that it was grown in Kerala and then discovered by Humayun, and that its name is actually Humayun Pasand. On the other hand, its name translates to "The Imam's Love". In case you don't know who or what an Imam is, it is an Islamic leadership position. The Imampasand looks like a cross between a Banganapalli and a Mulgoa, (I've never seen or eaten a Mulgoa, or maybe I have, but it sure looks like a Banganapalli), so it is quite likely that this mango originated from Andhra Pradesh. The origin of this variety is lost in time.
This mango is hard to transport, because of its soft skin, and thus it costs about Rs 140 per kilogram. That works out to Rs 70 per mango. The first time I cut this mango, I was devastated. The flesh was a pale yellow rather than the deep yellow that we expect out of a good mango. But then, there was something special about this mango. The flesh near the edge is a deep yellow, but it gets pale on the inside. One bite, and I knew why this is so special. It's juicy, and there's a mix of tastes, so it doesn't bore you with a sugar hit. There's this citric tang to it that enhances the sweetness, it doesn't destroy the taste. And then, there's the aroma which I cannot describe, you just have to taste it to believe it.
The Imampasand taught me to not judge a book by its cover, and that everything has something positive and negative about it, and nothing is this world is perfect. The Imampasand is truly one of the best I have ever had, but it's soft skin makes it hard to transport and it's imperfection misleads people. Other varieties have perfect skins, and golden yellow flesh, but I'm sure they'll have some imperfections too, if you analyze them. What makes the Imampasand so special is that all the imperfections are external, the flesh, the taste and the aroma hit the spot.
That Imam was a very wise person indeed.
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