Summer in India can have many drawbacks: it's blisteringly hot, it's humid, There are often water and electricity problems. But there is one glorious feature that makes life worth living: mangoes. Specifically, Alphonso mangoes.
Deriving its name from the Portuguese naval commander, Afonse de Albuquerque, Alphonsoes have yellow skins and juicy, sweet, yellow-coloured flesh. Some people (and I agree with them) consider Alphonso the King of the Mangoes.
It's too bad that the season is only two months long, May and June, although this year the season was delayed by a few days so we will still get them in July.
I have seen people eat mangoes in a most civilised manner: they slice them, then use a spoon to separate the flesh from the skin, and then serve them on plates with a fork.
Not me.
For me, eating an Alphonso is a very tactile experience. I don't consider it a worthwhile experience unless I get some of the juice somewhere on my cheek (not intentionally, of course) and I need dental floss afterwards to clean my teeth. Why floss? Well, I usually scrape the seed with my teeth to get every last bit of juice from the fruit. Did I mention the season is only two months long? Civility with fruit can be managed during the other ten months of the year.
Hey, at least I don't go as far as the woman in this article. Well, not anymore, I don't.
Sadly, this June, like its careless brethren of yesteryear, is about to give way to July, and so it will soon be time to bid Alphonso a fond farewell for another year. Until May, Alphonso, tchau.
Deriving its name from the Portuguese naval commander, Afonse de Albuquerque, Alphonsoes have yellow skins and juicy, sweet, yellow-coloured flesh. Some people (and I agree with them) consider Alphonso the King of the Mangoes.
It's too bad that the season is only two months long, May and June, although this year the season was delayed by a few days so we will still get them in July.
I have seen people eat mangoes in a most civilised manner: they slice them, then use a spoon to separate the flesh from the skin, and then serve them on plates with a fork.
Not me.
For me, eating an Alphonso is a very tactile experience. I don't consider it a worthwhile experience unless I get some of the juice somewhere on my cheek (not intentionally, of course) and I need dental floss afterwards to clean my teeth. Why floss? Well, I usually scrape the seed with my teeth to get every last bit of juice from the fruit. Did I mention the season is only two months long? Civility with fruit can be managed during the other ten months of the year.
Hey, at least I don't go as far as the woman in this article. Well, not anymore, I don't.
Sadly, this June, like its careless brethren of yesteryear, is about to give way to July, and so it will soon be time to bid Alphonso a fond farewell for another year. Until May, Alphonso, tchau.
2 Comments:
Love the first paragraph of that article.
Personally I think it's all in the name, man-go. Although chocolate has also been known to work.
Sadly we in Aus have a few months to wait for our mangoes.
When my brother returned from the Philippines, he couldn't say enough about the mangoes. I like the mangoes sold at the store but according to TheDeanInc, they taste so bland. If I love something bland, I can't wait to know how a fresh mango affects me!
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