There’s no such thing as too much mango, is there? Mangoes to smell, mangoes to eat, mangoes to make a difference to the same old recipes — Calcuttans recently got a mango festival to savour.

The AC Pavilion at the Agri-Horticultural Society in Alipore saw farmers from across Bengal showcasing the best mangoes from their orchards. More than 100 varieties competed for the Best Fruit of the Show award. Some of the favourites were Lakshman Bhog, Amrapali, Mallika, Lyangra and Himsagar.

Not just these yummy fruits but also products made from them — think jam, pickle, syrup, mishti and more — were on sale and were pitted against one another in a bid to be crowned the best. Products from big factories shared space with small-scale manufacturers and even individuals.

“We’re giving the growers a forum to see how the others are doing as well as an opportunity to pick up tips from scientists at a seminar and a workshop on mango cultivation,” said N. Sen, the CEO of Agri-Horticultural Society of India, which along with the department of food processing industries and horticulture, West Bengal, brought the show to the city.

t2 takes you through some mango moments from this three-day festival.

 

Text: Ramona Sen
Pictures: Sayantan Ghosh