Your ultimate UAE guide to mango season

We give you the ultimate guide to the 'king of fruits,' - the mango. Find out where to get them, how to choose them and see our delicious recipes for mango based dishes.

The mango display at LuLu Hypermarket, Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, features several varieties of the fruit. From May to the end of July, cultivars imported from India and Pakistan are at their best. Ravindranath K / The National
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Summer time in the UAE heralds the arrival of the “king of fruits”. While the rich and tender mango is available all year round, it is from May to the end of July when they are imported from India and Pakistan, the two primary exporters. While all mangoes share similar traits of being sweet and aromatic, there are plenty of ­varieties – offering a range of colour and texture – that true mango connoisseurs look for. Below is an essential guide to the types found in our markets and shopping aisles.

INDIA

• Badami

The badami, a sweet mango from Karnataka, is small to medium in size and is a close relative of the Alphonso, also grown in India, but sweeter, softer and significantly more yellow rather than orange. It is available in the UAE from March to July. It is eaten both raw and in the form of shakes. Because of its ability to fight diseases, it is able to retain its freshness for longer periods of time, making it an ideal variety to store and export. Currently in supermarkets across the UAE, it costs anywhere from Dh11.95 per kilo to Dh18.95.

“After the Alphonso, the badami is a close second and a favourite of mango lovers,” says R K Chowdhry, the deputy general manager of LuLu in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wahda Mall. LuLu also hosts a mango mania festival every May, displaying more than 125 varieties – most of which are from India – in the store. “The current favourite that we have available in the store is the badami and the sindhri, both known for being sweet as well,” says Chowdhry. “Thai mangoes are also sweet, even though they are green,” he says.

• Rajapuri

The rajapuri mango is oversized and juicy, with a strong, floral aroma and has lightly coloured, soft flesh that’s sugary. It’s a seasonal variety, available from March to July, contains a lot of juice and has a very small seed. When purchased green, explains Chowdhry, allow it to ripen to its attractive yellow, orange and red hues. “It has smooth and tender flesh without fibres,” he says. Priced at Dh7.95 per kilo.

PAKISTAN

• Sindhri

Usually harvested in June and July, the sindhri mango – also known as the honey mango – is Pakistan’s national fruit. Sharply elongated in shape, with a pointed curve, this mango is known for its ­extreme sweetness and ­flavour.

The flesh of this mango is really soft and melts very quickly. For this reason, the sindhri cannot be stored for long and has to be eaten within two to three days of purchase. It is usually a uniform yellow colour, with no spots, and small to medium in size. Currently, it is priced from Dh6.95 to Dh12.95 per kilo.

Chowdhry says it can be found until September. “This mango is very popular here,” he says. “It’s perfect for mango lassi.”

KENYA

• Ngowe Long

This mango from Kenya is available year round, says Chowdhry. “It’s not really seasonal and not as sweet.” The fruit has a greenish-yellow hue and, as its name suggests, is long. The ngowe long is currently priced from Dh13.95 per kilo. “This type is good for savoury dishes,” says Chowdhry. “It’s not very sweet like the Indian varieties in season.” However, Chowdhry adds, the flesh is free of fibre.

Apple

The apple is locally known as the “round mango” and is also ­available year round. It is slightly sweeter than the Ngowe Long, small to medium in size and with a yellowish-orange hue. It is priced between Dh13.95 and Dh16.90 per kilo.

AUSTRALIA

• Kensington Price

This Australian variety, oval with a yellow skin that usually develops a red blush, is a favourite of Andrew Morrow, corporate executive chef of Leopold’s of London in the UAE. The flesh is yellow with moderate fibre, and has a sweet and spicy flavour.

“The Kensington from north Australia is available ­during the UAE’s winter months, when it is summer in Oz,” says Morrow. Currently, Kensington mangoes are not available in the UAE, but Chowdhry is expecting a ­consignment soon.

Other varieties

A new, sweet mango from Australia called the R2E2 is also becoming popular.

The Thai mango is preferred in savoury dishes, with a small seed and a larger flesh-to-seed ­ratio.

Egyptian mangoes usually start arriving in the UAE in May, and are small, sweet and popular among Arab communities.

Varieties from Brazil also make it to the UAE, with Brazilian mango season falling from March to July and October to ­January.

Best mangoes for dessert:

“This would depend on the manner in which the fruit is being used in a dessert,” said Vishal Rane, Head Chef at La Porte des Indes in Dubai. “If it’s being blended for a smooth purée, [the] Alphonso is a good option, as well as Kesar and Badami, all from India. If the fruit will be chopped, stick to the more firm, Brazilian and Thai varieties.”

Choosing your mangoes

According to Richard, pick the mango that’s currently in season. “We normally go with the country that produces the seasonal mangos,” he says. According to Richard, the right mango will always have a strong, sweet, fragrant and fruity aroma around the stem. “Ripe mangoes will be slightly soft to the touch,” he says. “Ideally, the mango should be football-shaped, so you should choose mangoes that are full, plump and rounded, especially around the stem.” When shopping for mangoes, look for ones that yield to gentle pressure, with no dark spots, blemishes, or shrivelled skin.

How to store them:

Ripe mangoes can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for two to three days. If the mangoes are still hard or too green, place them in a brown paper bag on your counter for a few days to help them ripen.

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