Good news to mango lovers! King of fruits is back in Hyderabad

According to the fruit sellers, as of now four different varieties of mango -- Alphonso, Himayat, Benishan and Rasaal - were available in the city markets

Hyderabad: Nothing beats the summer season when it comes to delicious mouth-watering mangoes. The king of fruits is back in the market of Hyderabad to let the people relish the sweet and juicy flavours of their favourite fruit.

According to the fruit sellers, as of now four different varieties of mango — Alphonso, Himayat, Benishan and Rasaal – were available in the city markets. As the season picks up, more varieties are expected to join the market. Said Abhijay, a vendor at Film Nagar, “other types like Sundari, Dasehri and Chausa are expected in the next 15 days to a month.”

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Given the early supplies, the rates of the mangoes in the city as of now are a bit high and might drop as the days go by. The Himayat mangoes are being sold at Rs 250 per kg while Benishan is available for Rs 200 per kg. “Rasaal is being sold for Rs 250 per kg and Alphonso for Rs 1600 for a box of 12 pieces,” said Moiz, owner of Star Fruit Centre at Banjara Hills.

As mango lovers are always eager to explore and enjoy the varieties of the fruit, let us look into the types of varieties available in the city:

Alphonso:

Named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese conqueror of Goa, these were brought in by the Portuguese, and are now grown widely in the Konkan belt of Maharashtra. They are smooth and creamy with soft skin, have a superior taste, flavour and texture compared to the others and are among the most consumed varieties of mangoes in India.

Himayat:

Grown in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the Imam Pasand or Himayat mango are unique with a sweet aroma and is abundantly juicy. This is the only mango that has a thin outer skin, thin seed and ample pulp inside.

Benishan:

Also known as Banaganpalli mangoes, these are slightly larger than Alphonso and produced in Banganapalle of Nandyal district in AP. They are large in size and pretty heavy in weight, with thin, smooth and yellow skin, the flesh is a firm texture, sweet and lacks fibre. The unblemished golden-yellow skin of this mango is edible.

Rasaal:

The most popular juicy variety of mangoes from Andhra Pradesh, usually comes in two sizes, the smaller one, popularly known as china raasalu and the bigger one, known as peda raasalu. This mango is extremely sweet and juicy when ripe, but needs to be consumed immediately as it has a low shelf life.

Totapari:

This variety of mangoes is widely grown in South India, their skin lacks the usual bitter taste of most mango skins or has a very slight bitterness and is consumed with the flesh traditionally. It is known for its distinct shape and tangy taste.

Neelam:

Famous for its sweetness, these are primarily grown in Telangana. They are smooth-skinned and bright yellow upon ripening and have no blush. The flesh is deep yellow or orange, and they do not have fiber, have a rich, aromatic flavor that is over-powering to the unaccustomed palate.

Cheruku Rasam:

This mango is the most popular juice mango from Andhra Pradesh. It is extremely sweet and juicy when it is ripe and the name comes from its sweetness, as it is sweeter than other varieties. The skin of this mango is green in colour, while the pulp is deep orange when it ripens.