VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

India’s many mango varieties are as rich and varied as the dishes you can make with them. On my trip to write about them, I discovered the Chaunsa (golden-yellow when ripe and tasting sweet with a hint of lemon), the Neelum (a green-skinned variety even when ripe, sweet like honey and slightly juicier than other varieties) and the Banganapalli ( golden, sweet with no fibre – and a taste I found I preferred over Alphonsos). I fell in love with the Himayat mango: a fibreless, sweet and creamy variety that melts in the mouth, but these were just the tip of the iceberg.

Alphonsos are perhaps the most familiar mangoes in Britain, with sunshineyellow skin and flavours of peach, honey and citrus.

The Gir Kesar, or Kesar, mango is one of the most sought-after varieties in India, grown in the foothills of the Girnar mountains in Gujurat, and granted geographical indication status in 2011. The fruit is saffroncoloured and has a mild, floral flavour. It can be found in the UK.

Dasheri mangoes have peach-coloured flesh and are sweet and aromatic.

The Langra is sweet and fibrous with an acidic aftertaste.

From other mango growing regions, Tommy Atkins is a cultivar grown in Florida (as well as in Hawaii and Jamaica) and is commonly sold in the UK. With purply-red skin and orange flesh, it might not be as sweet to taste but has a long shelf life and can handle being shipped without much bruising.

Kent mangoes originated in Florida but are grown around the world, particularly in Peru. Common in Britain, the skin flushes from greenyyellow to red, and it is sweet to eat.

Keitts, oval-shaped and green with yellow flesh, are smooth fleshed and taste slightly tangy.