New Delhi: Mango season is here and no one can keep calm. Indians in the US are crowding grocery stores in search of the beloved fruit.
The latest addition to this frenzy came when the famous Kesar landed in major stores in Seattle. The stock sold out within hours.
The mangoes landed in the US after a year-long initiative by the Indian Consulate General in Seattle.
Prakash Gupta, Consul General of India in Seattle, featured in a segment dedicated to mangoes on Fox 13 News Saturday. He described the initiative as “mango diplomacy.”
“Families bond over mangoes. That’s why they are so special to us,” Gupta told Fox News.
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How it started
Former US president George W Bush tasted Indian mangoes during his visit to the country in 2006. He then told prime minister Manmohan Singh, “What a hell of a fruit.”
The US had previously banned imports of Indian mangoes due to an agricultural pest. That changed during the Bush administration. After the US mandated irradiation-based phytosanitary treatment, Indian mangoes entered the American market in 2007. The New York Times called the mangoes the “most eagerly anticipated fruit” delivery of the year.
Expressing his joy over the love Kesar has received in the US, Gupta spoke about the one-year outreach effort to promote mangoes. The consulate organised tasting events with four varieties of mangoes – Dasheri, Kesar, Chausa and Langra. The embassy worked with local groceries, giant US retailers and delivery platforms. The aim was to get people in Seattle to taste the juicy fruit.
Kesar—the queen of the mangoes—is a premium Indian variety originating from Gujarat. It is a highly sought-after mango, famous for its sweet-tart taste.
They’re available at a wide range of stores, including Costco. Some stores also cut the mangoes for customers. In a video shared by the official X account of the Consulate General of India, Seattle, a Costco employee said the mangoes have been “flying off the shelves.”
Gupta also showed the hosts how each variety of mango is eaten. Dasheri and Langra are eaten by sucking out the pulp, while the others are scooped out with a spoon.
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Craze for mangoes
In the first week of May several accounts on X wrote about how mangoes are sold out in the US.
A report published in The Wall Street Journal claimed that Indians in the US and Americans are doing “anything” to get hold of mangoes in the US. Shipments are selling out every 15 minutes.
Eric Weinstein, managing director of Thiel Capital, shared a picture of two mangoes and thanked India.
Tech entrepreneur Antonio García Martínez shared a picture of a box of Alphonso mangoes and sought buyers. “$20 each. No low ballers, I know what I’ve got,” he wrote.
India produces more than 20 million metric tons of mangoes and only one per cent is exported. The rest is consumed in India.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)