A very special delivery

IT may be the most highly anticipated produce debut ever: Mangoes from India, banned from importation until the U.S. and India reached a trade agreement last year, have finally hit stores in Southern California.

Why all the excitement?

The mango, in India, is revered for its flavor and texture. "It's luscious, it's satiny, it's smooth and velvety, and has the most elegant mixture of sweet with a little sour that you can possibly hope to find," says Madhur Jaffrey, author of "Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India" and other Indian cookbooks.

Though hundreds of mango varieties are grown in India, only three -- Alphonso, Kesar and Banganpalli -- will be available in the U.S. this season. Alphonsos and Kesars were the first to arrive.

Alphonsos, smallish and golden-yellow, are amazingly sweet and succulent, with floral aromas and a creamy, fiber-free texture. Los Angeles-based produce wholesaler Melissa's received a shipment the first week of May, says Robert S. Schueller, director of public relations for the firm. Although Melissa's distributed them to retailers in Texas, Pennsylvania and New York, L.A. retailers didn't bite, Schueller says, thanks to their high price -- they sell for $35 for a case of 12.

"We're at the peak of mango season," he says. "You can buy a dozen mangos of the Ataulfo variety for less than 10 bucks, so most retailers look at the price and say, 'Oh, it's probably not worth it.' In a market where you can get two mangos for a dollar, and these are costing $4 or $5 apiece, it depends on where your priorities are."

Mexican-grown Ataulfo mangos -- the only fiberless variety besides the Indian ones -- are available nine months of the year, he says.

But the high price doesn't seem to be deterring Indian mango aficionados. Devraj Kerai, owner of Pioneer Cash & Carry, a grocery in Artesia's Little India district, says he wanted to be the first to carry Indian mangoes in the region. He received 110 cases of Kesars (12 per case) on May 11, he says, and he sold out in three hours. (Since then he has received three more shipments of Alphonsos and Kesars, pre-selling them, with a waiting list.)

When I arrived at Pioneer that first day, there was a huge yellow and orange banner that screamed, "Indian Mangoes Now Available," and the scene around the mango display was like a scrum. That's not surprising to anyone who knows Indian culture.