In Goa, the refrain is, ‘Mango means Mankurad.’ It is the first mango to hit the market, often at a whopping price for the first fruits! It may have a Geographical Indication (GI) for Goa, but the first fruits invariably come from across the border.
We complain, but we do not reform and grow them ourselves!
There are almost a hundred other varieties of mangoes of Goan origin, and more from other states that are cultivated in Goa for home consumption. The aggregators market the fruit from assorted growers.
MANGO VARIETIES OF GOA
My favourite is the Manga Hilario that is available in mid-season, or from May to June.
The Malges, or Malgueso mango, ripens around the same time as the Mankurad. Its mature fruits are preferred for making mango chutney or sweet pickle. It has a red blush like the Goan Pairi mango, but with a distinctly different aroma and flavour.
The Hapoos, or Ratnagiri Alphonso, is in the market with the Mankurad and Malges, but it is not popular among Goans because it is generally force-ripened in neighbouring Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
However, one farm from Devgad markets slow-ripened Hapoos that meets local tastes.
The Manga Hilario, or Mangilar, is arguably the best mango variety of Goa. It has a light butter yellow to ivory colour pulp and the cut edge of the peel displays a saffron coloured edge.
Its major disadvantage is that it arrives in the market almost a month after the Mankurad, and the fruits ripening during the monsoons often have maggots of fruit flies, if not controlled.
Pheromone-based fruit fly traps are now easily available, and are commonly used to overcome the maggots.
Pheromone-based fruit fly traps are now easily available, and are commonly used to overcome the maggots.
The Fernandina is as rare as the Xavier, Nicolau Afonso, Colaco or Culas mangoes. It is thick-skinned and does not have a fruit fly problem even though it ripens during the rains in June.
Monserrate mangoes face the fruit fly problem, but it often goes unnoticed because this variety is largely used for making a local variety of jam, known as mangada, and is rarely used as a dessert fruit.
A Bardez Mussorad tree, laden with fruits, is a beautiful sight. Whether the mangoes are immature or almost ripe, they have a beautiful red blush.
The shade and hue of red and green fruit peel may differ. The fruit is medium sized, bigger and heavier than a Mankurad. The pulp is firm, melting, juicy and aromatic.
At a sugar level of 19 Brix, it is slightly less sweet than Mankurad (21 Brix) and Manga Hilario (23 Brix). The Saxtti Mussorat or Monserrate Vermelho (Red) is something else altogether.
The book, Mangoes of Goan Origin, by PA Mathew, documents the varieties still available in Goa and multiplied by grafting to preserve the varieties for the future. The Portuguese and English book on Goan Mangoes by Fernando do Rego was a limited edition and not available in bookshops.
There are well-researched articles on mangoes available on the net. During the last two decades, beginning with May, 2003, the Konkan Fruit Fest has made mangoes – from across the Konkan region – visible to the people of Goa.
