Mango season is in full swing here in Kolkata. However, purchasing mangoes can be difficult for a girl like myself who is unaccustomed to the wide variety of available options. In an effort to educate ourselves about this country's plethora of Mangifera indica, Emily and I held our first annual Mango Fandango taste-testing extravaganza. We tasted seven different mangoes and recorded our findings. As you will see, we have very distinguished palates and have qualified ourselves as "mango-mmeliers" (the mango version of a sommelier). Please find our results below (highlights in orange)
Alphonso mango:
Exterior appearance: Average sunny yellow, excellent disguise for the punch inside
Interior appearance: Firm, full-bodied, strong marigold
Flavor: Sweet with an underlying tang, bold and wild flavor, element of the tropical, acidic, retrospectively laser-like, like a fiesta in your mouth
Aroma: Frooti (a brand of mango juice here), delicate coconut overtones
Texture: Smooth, slides down throat in a nice manner, pleasant and non-fibrous texture
Strength: 7
Ease of preparation: Great ease, facilitated solid chunking
Yield: High
Overall: 8
Bangenpali mango:
Exterior appearance: Some interesting curves, but again leaves the viewer disappointed
Interior appearance: Lighest of the group, closest to lemon yellow, simple coloring
Flavor: Mild bouquet, pleasant but lacking in character
Aroma: A bit dull, woody, mildly citrusy
Texture: On the slimy side, unpleasantly runny at the bottom of the bowl
Strength: 1
Ease of preparation: Average
Yield: Average
Overall: 6
Bombai mango:
Exterior appearance: Unfortunate moles marring it's appearance, small and hemoglobular
Interior appearance: Inconsistent coloring, ranging from bold orange to puke yellow. Slightly green-brownish. Not attractive.
Flavor: Pungent in its own right, foresty, musky, does have an element of surprise, reminicent of West African heritage
Aroma: Tinge of canned cat food. Woody, fishy, and generally weak.
Texture: Lacking in structure
Strength: 3
Ease of preparation: Low
Yield: Low
Overall: 3.5
Golapkhas mango:
Exterior appearance: Most pleasing appearance, with blush coloring. Appealing two-tonal skin.
Interior appearance: Racy, Lambroghini yellow.
Flavor: Multi-dimension, more floral than woody, tastes as a mango should.
Aroma: Familiar, subtle orange frangrance
Texture: Rich and velvety, firm yet smooth. Mild traction, in that my tongue doesn't want to let it go.
Strength: 5
Ease of preparation: Average
Yield: Average
Overall: 9
Himsagar mango:
Exterior appearance: Greenish-brown, the ugly duckling of the crew, an indicator of what was in store.
Interior appearance: Limp, non-traditional, eclectic, easily browned, papayesque
Flavor: Strong, aged flavor - like the storage room of a hardware store, unkindly filmy aftertaste
Aroma: Root-like, wafts of pumpkin
Texture: Unctuous, algaeic, just plain slimy
Strength: 4
Ease of preparation: Difficult
Yield: Average to high
Overall: 3
Langda mango:
Exterior appearance: Bright green. Beauty betraying the sicky sweet flavor. Leafy in color.
Interior appearance: Appears very fibrous, consistent in color.
Flavor: Syrupy, herbal melange, balanced depth,
Aroma: Over-ripe, fructally generous
Texture: Flossy (would worry about having strings in your teeth on a date), light on water yield, slightly too much mush factor
Strength: 6
Ease of preparation: Average
Yield: Low to average
Overall: 5
Madrasi mango:
Exterior appearance: Orange, with a pleasant looking navel. Small.
Interior appearance: Pejorative translucency, maybe be off-putting, burgandy undertones
Flavor: Nectar-infused, flat and shallow, palate is left disappointed after promising aroma
Aroma: Seductive, Suggestive of steamy nights on the beach, Sharp
Texture: Limp on the fork, gelatinous in nature.
Strength: 2
Ease of preparation: Difficult
Yield: Low
Overall: 4.5
Alphonso mango:
Exterior appearance: Average sunny yellow, excellent disguise for the punch inside
Interior appearance: Firm, full-bodied, strong marigold
Flavor: Sweet with an underlying tang, bold and wild flavor, element of the tropical, acidic, retrospectively laser-like, like a fiesta in your mouth
Aroma: Frooti (a brand of mango juice here), delicate coconut overtones
Texture: Smooth, slides down throat in a nice manner, pleasant and non-fibrous texture
Strength: 7
Ease of preparation: Great ease, facilitated solid chunking
Yield: High
Overall: 8
Bangenpali mango:
Exterior appearance: Some interesting curves, but again leaves the viewer disappointed
Interior appearance: Lighest of the group, closest to lemon yellow, simple coloring
Flavor: Mild bouquet, pleasant but lacking in character
Aroma: A bit dull, woody, mildly citrusy
Texture: On the slimy side, unpleasantly runny at the bottom of the bowl
Strength: 1
Ease of preparation: Average
Yield: Average
Overall: 6
Bombai mango:
Exterior appearance: Unfortunate moles marring it's appearance, small and hemoglobular
Interior appearance: Inconsistent coloring, ranging from bold orange to puke yellow. Slightly green-brownish. Not attractive.
Flavor: Pungent in its own right, foresty, musky, does have an element of surprise, reminicent of West African heritage
Aroma: Tinge of canned cat food. Woody, fishy, and generally weak.
Texture: Lacking in structure
Strength: 3
Ease of preparation: Low
Yield: Low
Overall: 3.5
Golapkhas mango:
Exterior appearance: Most pleasing appearance, with blush coloring. Appealing two-tonal skin.
Interior appearance: Racy, Lambroghini yellow.
Flavor: Multi-dimension, more floral than woody, tastes as a mango should.
Aroma: Familiar, subtle orange frangrance
Texture: Rich and velvety, firm yet smooth. Mild traction, in that my tongue doesn't want to let it go.
Strength: 5
Ease of preparation: Average
Yield: Average
Overall: 9
Himsagar mango:
Exterior appearance: Greenish-brown, the ugly duckling of the crew, an indicator of what was in store.
Interior appearance: Limp, non-traditional, eclectic, easily browned, papayesque
Flavor: Strong, aged flavor - like the storage room of a hardware store, unkindly filmy aftertaste
Aroma: Root-like, wafts of pumpkin
Texture: Unctuous, algaeic, just plain slimy
Strength: 4
Ease of preparation: Difficult
Yield: Average to high
Overall: 3
Langda mango:
Exterior appearance: Bright green. Beauty betraying the sicky sweet flavor. Leafy in color.
Interior appearance: Appears very fibrous, consistent in color.
Flavor: Syrupy, herbal melange, balanced depth,
Aroma: Over-ripe, fructally generous
Texture: Flossy (would worry about having strings in your teeth on a date), light on water yield, slightly too much mush factor
Strength: 6
Ease of preparation: Average
Yield: Low to average
Overall: 5
Madrasi mango:
Exterior appearance: Orange, with a pleasant looking navel. Small.
Interior appearance: Pejorative translucency, maybe be off-putting, burgandy undertones
Flavor: Nectar-infused, flat and shallow, palate is left disappointed after promising aroma
Aroma: Seductive, Suggestive of steamy nights on the beach, Sharp
Texture: Limp on the fork, gelatinous in nature.
Strength: 2
Ease of preparation: Difficult
Yield: Low
Overall: 4.5
