During the months of March and April the Mango estates see the small mango fruits grow up on trees.
It’s a tradition in Gujarat to drop small mango fruits which dropped off from the tree on it’s own to the fire lit up on the Holi festival. It’s is believed to be auspicious for the good crops and production of mango.
The Gujarat and mostly South Gujarat is the house to Valsad Alfonso and Kesar Mango. Both these fruits are the best of all Mangoes. Both Alfonso and Kesar crops come at the same time.
Any time during month of May the first lot raw Mangoes come to the mango farmers homes which also goes to their near ones. It’s costs a fortune to be in the close circle of Mango farmers. That gives you a chance to get the best fruits of the farm come to you before the world could see it.
Of course, it has it’s own premium. When the Mango reaches home and family members making arrangements to store it on a dry grass to ripe it on it’s own.
It requires lots of skills and experience to identify which fruit is ready to be juiced as every fruit has it’s own characteristics of getting ripped from inside out or from outside to inside.
Once picked up the ripped fruits, it’s a time to be juiced for a lunch or dinner which is mostly the responsibility of a senior most lady of the house.
In the process, the kids too enjoy the mango sipping and spreading the juice all over. It’s the best seen mostly seen in every home in Gujarat during Mango season.
When the Mango pulp come in a dish in a semi liquid form with hot chapati or fulka rotli, and with the first bite, it’s a divine test, it’s the moment, aha moment.
During all these days, the raw Mangoes keep on coming on regular sequence. And the quantity ranging from 20 to 50 kg based on family size. When Mangoes spreaded on grass for ripping process, the fragrance all around home give the heavenly feel.
You have to live it to believe it. The Mango season, mostly known as Keri Galo in Gujarat is the occasion to go to maternal uncle’s or Mamas house to enjoy the mango party.
There is no life without Mangoes. Long live Mangoes.
Sunil Chaporkar – A Devoted Mango Lover
