Wild, local mangoes find their way to gourmet menus

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Growing up, the highlight of every summer vacation in my hometown of Mangaluru was the wild mango curry. My cousins and I would abandon all dignity over plates of hot rice and the golden curry like it was our last meal.Back then these wild mangoes were deemed far too rustic for professional kitchens. But that is changing.

Last summer, the standout dish at chef Amninder Sandhu’s Bawri in Goa wasn’t a complex modern creation, but a wild mango curry from a variety that grows in the restaurant’s backyard.Mainstream chefs have long favoured the Alphonso, Baganapalli or Badami as they have a uniform shape, buttery texture and a thick skin that survives the rigours of transportation. Their predictable sweetness makes them a perfect ingredient for kitchens where consistency is key. Today, varieties like Beeju, Patashio and Ghonta, once dismissed as either too sour or fibrous, are finding their way on to upscale menus.At Fateh Garh, a luxury retreat in Rajasthan, chef Krishna Ameta works with the Patashio Ambo from the Rajsamand region.

Named for its size (referring to the sugar candy batasha), it has a sweet-tangy profile and can be eaten in a single bite. It is reduced to a jammy consistency and cooked with khoya and coconut for a barfi. “This is a fibrous variety and it takes around 20-25 mangoes to get just 300-400g of pulp.

But the unique flavour profile makes up for the hard work. When guests taste the barfi, they ask to see the mango,” says Ameta.The push for control over flavour and texture is also leading chefs toward hybrids with specific traits. At the Jim Corbett Marriott Resort & Spa in Uttarakhand, executive chef Ashish Kandwal bypasses commercial favourites for the Amrapali.