KARACHI, June 5: Mangoes of several varieties have begun flooding the city’s markets from Surjani Town to Clifton and Mubarak village in the Hawkesbay area to Gulshan-i-Hadeed near Pakistan Steel. Prominent among the varieties that have landed in the city are Sindhri, Saroli, Dusehri and Langra, all inhabitants of Sindh.

Though some health conscious people may consider it a bit early to go on a mango-eating spree, the die-hard lovers of the fruit can hardly wait for a rainfall and the weather to take a pleasant turn.

The prices of Saroli, Sindhri and Dusehri may range from Rs25 a kilogram to Rs35 a kg, but Langra can be had at as low as Rs20 a kilogram. The lowly Desi is as cheap as Rs15 a kg. So, the glut has made the fruit affordable, and even members of the poorest segment of the society can afford a bite of the sweet, fleshy fruit. Women fond of cooking are discovering new uses for the fruit and its juice.

With the volume of influx growing, experts believe that the prices will come down further in the next 15 days. The Punjab mangoes may take a month more to arrive here and thus would outlive the Sindh varieties by a corresponding period, lasting into September.

Mangoes are being sold in crates at various places in well-off areas such as Clifton, Defence, PECHS and North Nazimabad. They are hawked on pushcarts in low-income areas such as Korangi, Landhi, Malir, Mehmoodabad, Baldia Town, and New Karachi, etc. They are sold on pushcarts and temporary stalls at marketplaces such as Saddar, Liaqatabad, Boltan Market and Empress Market.

The mangoes are believed to be having been in existence for more than 6,000 years. The Hinduism, which is the oldest religion, has its mention in the holy books. It is believed to have originated in Burma and then spread to Malaysia and other Asian countries.

Because of an ideal climate, the mangoes are grown in large quantities in Pakistan.

The better varieties are exported to the Middle East and European countries and are reportedly not available to the local consumers.

Chaunsa arrives in the market late. It is probably the best variety in Pakistan and is usually exported to the Middle East. This variety is grown mostly in southern Punjab, including Multan, Bhawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan. This golden colour, pleasantly sweet variety is usually available in the market from July to September.

Sindhri is Chaunsa’s Sindhi counterpart. It mostly originates at Mirpurkhas and is usually cheaper than Chaunsa. It arrives in the market early and has not yet acquired its sweetness.

The last to land in the Karachi markets is Anwar Ratole. This small size, highly sweet and fragrant variety is particularly a favourite of the well-to-do as it is comparatively expensive for the common people.

Although Iqbal was no less fond of mangoes, Ghalib is particularly famous for his love of the fruit. In fact, no mention of the fruit seems to be complete without conjuring up Ghalib’s remarks about mangoes. The fruit which has more than 50 varieties, didn’t concern Ghalib as far as varieties concerned. He would say that mangoes should be sweet and in great quantities. He is also quoted as having said that only the asses do not eat mangoes. If Ghalib were alive, and in Karachi, he would have been delighted to see the abundance of mangoes in the city.

— Nasser Ahmed