"Mangos are an essential part of every Indian's growing up," says Jaffrey. "Every party for graduations has mangoes, because that's also the time of the mango. The minute someone graduates, mangoes are sent, placed in a bucket of ice (the quickest way to cool a lot of them), and everyone sits around in a celebratory mood.
"At all our weddings, like a Jewish \o7chuppa\f7, we have a canopy, a \o7mandap\f7, that the couple stands under. The canopy is made of mango leaves, the most auspicious of leaves, and you are surrounded by their blessings."
Still, eyes popped when Pioneer customers learned how expensive the mangoes were. A few snapped up cases, quickly ferrying them away. Others took a more cautious approach. One couple bought a single fruit for $3.50 and returned moments later to indulge in just one more. They had eaten the first one behind the store and couldn't resist buying another.
Besides the price issue, mango devotees should consider that all Indian-grown mangoes exported to the U.S. are irradiated. The reason for the long ban was that they can harbor a pest -- the mango seed weevil -- but the weevil is killed with low levels of irradiation. "Irradiation is recognized as a safe and effective way of providing insect quarantine treatment," says Christine Bruhn, an expert on irradiation and director of the Center for Consumer Research at UC Davis, but the procedure remains controversial.
In any case, I didn't let it bother me: I couldn't wait to taste one. The Kesars, a bit larger than the Alphonsos, are still green when ripe, with only a touch of yellowing, if any.
As I peeled the skin down the side of the fruit, a fabulous perfume wafted up: lime blossom, citrus and spice. I filleted the two "cheeks" away from the flat oval pit. The flesh was gorgeous, a beautiful, deep saffron color. ("Kesar" means saffron in Hindi.) I sliced, and tasted.
The flesh was silky and ripe, with a texture almost like tofu. It was amazingly sweet and deeply flavored, with funky tropical notes and a touch of bright lime and a gorgeous finish. Not wanting to miss a bit, I slurped the rest of the fruit over the sink.
Kesars will be available only through late June, and they're not easy to find: The only stores carrying them in Southern California are a number of Indian groceries; meanwhile, Melissa's is selling them online ($55 per case, plus shipping).
Banganpallis, grown in the south of India, are on their way says Pioneer's Kerai; he expects to have them this week.
