THE LURE OF MANGOES

Grow this King of Fruits in your own garden, urges

Rajendra K. Aneja

Mango days are here again. Mangoes bring melodious moods and memories. The very thought of devouring a lush Alphonso mango brings a smile to any face. If you want to win any heart or even a contract, present the person a gift-wrapped basket of mangoes. Even the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India exchange baskets of mangoes, to break the ice in the relationships between the countries. If an affiliation is turning sour and you want it to blossom instead, offer the person a plateful of fresh-cut mangoes. Hence, mangoes are renowned as the “King of Fruits”.

As children, in the 1960s, we used to visit the company “baagh” or garden, in Muzaffarnagar in UP state. The trees stooped down, laden with luscious mangoes. The gardeners forbade us to pluck the mangoes. However, we were small boys. We looked for opportunities to fell some mangoes with small pebbles and gobble the fallen fruit quickly. A free mango is infinitely sweeter than a paid mango. There was the additional delight of eating a mango, fresh off the tree.

In the 1960s, we had no refrigerator at home. So, my mother cooled the mangoes by keeping them in a small brass bucket, laden with ice. It took an hour for the mangoes to chill; however, in our anxiety to eat them, we would dip our fingers in the bucket every five minutes, to check if the mangoes had chilled enough to be devoured.

The prices of mangoes have soared over the years. In the 1960s mangoes would sell for about Rs. 5 (20 US cents) for a dozen. Now. the Alphonso mangoes retail for Rs. 600 to 900 (USD 10) per dozen. Thus, from consuming two to three mangoes daily during childhood, now I make do with a solitary mango every day.

One of the reasons I adored living in the Middle East was that mangoes were available, almost throughout the year. When Indian mangoes went out of season, Egyptian mangoes arrived, then Pakistani, then Moroccan. The UAE and Saudi Arabia get mangoes from different countries throughout the year. The sweetest mangoes in the world come from Zambales, in Philippines. Mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. It is the national tree of Bangladesh.

Mangoes are immensely popular in Africa. Historically, the Persians brought the mango seed to West and East Africa in the 10th Century. Now, about 100 varieties of mangoes are grown across Africa. Mangoes came to Nigeria in the 19th century, when the Botanical Gardens of Jamaica, sent the seeds to Calabar.

In India there is an assortment of mangoes to choose from. The pack is led by the globally renowned Alphonso. It was first introduced to Goa by a Portuguese General, Afonso de Albuquerque circa 1510. Then there is Badami from Karnataka, Chaunsa from North India, Dasheri and Langda from UP state, Kesar from Gujarat and Mulgoba from Tamil Nadu. India produces 20 million tonnes of mangoes per annum, making it the largest producer in the world.

Mangoes are an absolute treat in any form, warm or chilled, juiced or pureed. I love them best when I freeze mango cubes in ice trays with some cream. This is my own homemade rich and creamy mango ice cream.

I was flabbergasted to see the size of the Indian Alphonso mango, shrink every year, despite the increase in prices. It was a mystery, I could not resolve. Finally, a fruit-shop owner enlightened me. He said, “If you want to eat large Alphonso mangoes, you will have to travel to London, New York or Dubai. The best mangoes are now being exported to the USA, the UK and to the UAE.” Indians who have migrated to foreign lands, are yet in love with Indian mangoes.

Those who miss mangoes during the off-season months, can have a range of products made from raw or ripe mangoes, like pickles, pulps, jams, “murabbas” (marmalades) chutneys, sweet poppadums, etc. Hot mango pickles are a household item in every Indian home. No meal is complete, without some spicy pickles.

Mangoes have been immortalised by the Bollywood actor Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in the iconic movie, Deewar, which catapulted him into stardom. In a dialogue with the villain of the film, Mr. Bachchan, advises him, “Aap Aam khao, gutliya kyo ginte how”. (Relish the mangoes, why are you counting the seeds?) So, the mango became a teacher. Devour it. Do not bother about the seed. It taught, do not fret about the small things. Worry about the key results in a business, do not worry about the unimportant.

Hawkers use an idiom to sell their mangoes, “Aam lelo Aam, Gutliyo ke daam” (buy the mangoes at the prices of the seeds). However the “gutli” (seed) is free, when you buy the mango. Presumably the hawker is broadcasting that the mangoes are almost free. Be it so. I yet detected an insult to the mango seed. The seed is the mother of the mango tree and the delicious fruits that follow. So what, if it is free?

The mango begins its journey from the seed, into our mouths and hearts. As I grew older, I realised that growing a business is akin to managing a mango seedling. Select a good breed of seed like the Alphonso. Then, plant it in an area with free space where the tree can grow unfettered. Then, water and fertilize the sapling. In a few years, enjoy lush yellow, red colour delicious mangoes.

Similarly, select a good business project, nourish it well, so that future generations reap the harvest of profits, homes, bonuses and livelihoods.

Every house with a garden, would be wise to plant a mango tree, a bounty of nature. The mango tree takes five-to-eight years to flower and fruit. Then, for over 100-to-200 years, successive generations relish the sweet, lush, creamy fruit.

 Aneja is a Management Consultant and was Managing Director of Unilever Tanzania. He is the author of “Conquer Rural Marketing in Developing Countries”