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India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

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Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#61

Post by umeshunni »

givemeethekeys wrote: post #22

Unrelated, but if you're going to go the deep end on Indian, and other Asian fruits, I recommend also trying: - Rambutan (similar to lychees) - Custard apple (haven't seen it, but I've heard it can be found) - Vietnamese Durian (tastes like a milkshake, and I couldn't smell the stinky smell..) - Guava (they're not very sweet but are very flavorful) - Sapota (aka Chiku) - the best fruit milkshakes I've had were chiku…

FYI -

Sapotas are from Mexico (Yucatan)

Custard apples are from the West Indies

Guavas are from Mexico (and are often grown in backyards even here in California)

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#62

Post by ido »

Kaijo wrote: post #28
givemeethekeys wrote: post #22

Unrelated, but if you're going to go the deep end on Indian, and other Asian fruits, I recommend also trying: - Rambutan (similar to lychees) - Custard apple (haven't seen it, but I've heard it can be found) - Vietnamese Durian (tastes like a milkshake, and I couldn't smell the stinky smell..) - Guava (they're not very sweet but are very flavorful) - Sapota (aka Chiku) - the best fruit milkshakes I've had were chiku…

These are all common, obvious fruits, several of which are not even from Asia originally. I feel someone speaking from "the deep end" would have more esoteric recommendations but also very strong preferences about what particular cultivars to seek out -- in each case, but especially for durian, where it's almost like each of its hundreds of named varieties can have its own cult following -- when and where to get them…

Aside from Guava I knew none of the fruits the OP mentioned, just as a side-note. I think you may be overestimating how common and obvious these are for people not from Asia.

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#63

Post by fooker »

MichaelZuo wrote: post #58
fooker wrote: post #46

Alphonso is one of the least flavorful varieties on mango. The fame comes from the fact that it is one of the few which can stay edible for more than a few days of storage and transport, making it the only variety ever exported at scale. Some better ones are Himsagar, Langra, Sindhri, Dasheri. Try to find these when you are traveling in India (and neighbors).

> The fame comes from the fact that it is one of the few which can stay edible for more than a few days of storage and transport, making it the only variety ever exported at scale Is that true even for refrigerated transport?

Yes

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#64

Post by throwaway2729 »

pkphilip wrote: post #23

Right now I have a huge selection of Alphonsos lying on a bed of hay as it is being naturally ripened along with Malgova mangoes. I will be getting Imam Pasand in a couple of days. For those in the know, Imam Pasand is considered even better than Alphonsos - especially those sourced from a specific part of Tamil Nadu in India. NOTE: I work with natural and organic farmers in India to try and find a market for their p…

Had a Rumani mango tree at home while growing up. Small, extremely juice mangos. Ate hundreds every season. Nothing else comes close.

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#65

Post by ASalazarMX »

pkphilip wrote: post #23

Right now I have a huge selection of Alphonsos lying on a bed of hay as it is being naturally ripened along with Malgova mangoes. I will be getting Imam Pasand in a couple of days. For those in the know, Imam Pasand is considered even better than Alphonsos - especially those sourced from a specific part of Tamil Nadu in India. NOTE: I work with natural and organic farmers in India to try and find a market for their p…

I was lucky to grow up in a tropical seaside city in Mexico. Mangoes and papayas were everywhere. Papayas never went to waste, but mangoes were almost a plague, old trees will drop kilos of ripened mangoes every day, and some people had several trees in their backyard.

Our house didn't have a tree, but you could take a bag and just walk around the neighborhood, because people put fresh mangoes on their fences for others to take for free before they spoiled. Naturally ripened mangoes are indeed on a different level, but they last so little before fermenting because they're very sweet.

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#66

Post by pvaldes »

givemeethekeys wrote: post #22

Unrelated, but if you're going to go the deep end on Indian, and other Asian fruits, I recommend also trying: - Rambutan (similar to lychees) - Custard apple (haven't seen it, but I've heard it can be found) - Vietnamese Durian (tastes like a milkshake, and I couldn't smell the stinky smell..) - Guava (they're not very sweet but are very flavorful) - Sapota (aka Chiku) - the best fruit milkshakes I've had were chiku…

Paw Paw would be the best local replacement for tropical flavor

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#67

Post by Cerium »

schrectacular wrote: post #39
givemeethekeys wrote: post #22

Unrelated, but if you're going to go the deep end on Indian, and other Asian fruits, I recommend also trying: - Rambutan (similar to lychees) - Custard apple (haven't seen it, but I've heard it can be found) - Vietnamese Durian (tastes like a milkshake, and I couldn't smell the stinky smell..) - Guava (they're not very sweet but are very flavorful) - Sapota (aka Chiku) - the best fruit milkshakes I've had were chiku…

My absolute favorite was not on your list: mangosteen! Available in the US at some Asian groceries but so expensive that I usually can't stomach it.

In the US they are expensive and usually bad.

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#68

Post by givemeethekeys »

umeshunni wrote: post #61
givemeethekeys wrote: post #22

Unrelated, but if you're going to go the deep end on Indian, and other Asian fruits, I recommend also trying: - Rambutan (similar to lychees) - Custard apple (haven't seen it, but I've heard it can be found) - Vietnamese Durian (tastes like a milkshake, and I couldn't smell the stinky smell..) - Guava (they're not very sweet but are very flavorful) - Sapota (aka Chiku) - the best fruit milkshakes I've had were chiku…

FYI - Sapotas are from Mexico (Yucatan) Custard apples are from the West Indies Guavas are from Mexico (and are often grown in backyards even here in California)

Well, they've all been growing in the East Indies for a long time and I've never been to the Yucatan or the West Indies. Maybe the varietals are different.

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#69

Post by coldtea »

If so, that's a good thing. We don't need to have access to whetever foreign fruit/plant/etc on tap (whether we're Americans, Indians, Chileans, Irish, or whatever else).

"Alphonso mangoes" are not exactly staple foods, wont help with anybody's substinence, and don't need to be transported half a world away, with the climate impact this has, just so some well-off folks can satisfy their cravings.

Re: India's Alphonso mangoes are virtually impossible to find in America (2018)

#70

Post by somberi »

Grew up in India; now in NYC.

The strong preferences around which of the varietals is the best, is a common squabble amongst south Asians.

I try to keep the allegiance fluid, because the peak harvest of each of these varietal differs by a few weeks, and I switch camps accordingly.

Imam Pasand is expensive, and they have a 4 week peak cycle, and the demand is strong enough in the south where it is traditionally grown, that they do not make it to the Northern part of India.

Alphonso is in mid-price point, and they are now commodity-harvested, as say Chiquita Bananas. It is still a good varietal, and one cannot go wrong in buying Alphonso.

Daseri takes over when peak Alphonso tapers off around say a 6 weeks cycle.

In NYC, Mexican Mangoes - Atalufo and sub-varietals - are available aplenty.

This one person's view is that the ones grown by Chiruli farms are good, and are commonly available at Whole Foods.

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