mango

Mango exports jump as quality improves

Bangladesh’s export earnings from mango have jumped this year as local growers are supplying an improved quality of the popular fruit through both private and public initiatives.

5 mango-inspired dishes by Shanchayita

Mango has taken centre stage at Shanchayita this month, with a wide range of simple, complex, and unique dishes. While you can order their mouth-watering creations online or make reservations for a meal, here are 5 recipes to try in the comfort of your home.

Cheat Codes / 6 mango desserts that you must try this summer

The real joy of eating a mango is peeling off the skin and eating it right away, with delicious juice runs down your hand; it might be offensive to many, but a true Bengali would love to eat it that way. However, the civilised way to eat a mango would be to slice it into pieces and have the pulp with a fork. Now that the season is over and we have satiated most of those cravings, we can safely shift our attention to chilled sweet mango desserts for this scorching summer. Mangoes are high in calories; hence, everyone will ask you to keep your mango count in check. But, if you pair it with cool foods like yoghurt, you can have that extra one too. So, no reason to stop the mango binge.

From field to plate: A mango’s journey

During summer, mangoes take over every household in Bangladesh. Sometimes in the form of snacks, sometimes in the form of substitute for a meal, and sometimes just because…why not? But ever wonder how the mangoes come to your table from the field? We are about to take a look into that journey that a mango has to go through to reach your table.

Must-try monsoon mango recipes

Mangoes are simply irresistible. Some can devour five of them in the time it takes you to count to four. And they are just as irresistible once you involve them in recipes, some of which has become iconic enough to be considered a staple monsoon dish. Here are just some ways you can take advantage of this delicious fruit in some recipes for this monsoon.

Keeping mangoes for after summer — Aamshotto

This is how sun-dried, semi-hard Bengali treat loosely translated as mango leather, more commonly known by the local names of aamshotto or aamta, became part of our childhood stories — a way of carrying the sweet bounties of summer into the following months. The entire process appeals to all the human senses like the sight of the leather drying, glistening in the sun, aroma wafting while it cooked and dried, and the instant punch of the sweet smell of a ripe mango whenever one ate it.

The other summer fruit— Jaam

While mango has a cemented spot as the king of summer fruits, in its many varieties it also easily overshadows our other seasonal favourites like jaam or the java plum. The festivity around mangoes often makes for a lacklustre season for other bounties of summer. This dark purple, bordering on burgundy, lozenge sized fruit is fleshy, juicy with a hard seed and stains everything it touches a deep purple, including your mouth.

Fruity jams and jellies to preserve summer delights

What is the difference between all the soft and delicious fruit spreads? They all might seem the same but each has different special features, and thus the different names. They are easy to make and hard to resist. There are four main ingredients in all soft spreads: fruit, sugar, pectin and acid. The consistency of soft spreads varies from a firm set for jellies to a soft, honey-like consistency for preserves, and thus require slightly differing prep techniques.

Summer fruits for diabetes: What to eat, and how much?

We generally tend to think that sweet things are not good for people with diabetes. At first glance this seems to make sense. However, there is a big difference between the sugar that we find in a fruit and in the added sugar that we might sprinkle on top. In a fruit, the fructose accompanied by fibre, vitamins, minerals, and so many other nutrients are good for our bodies. Fruits have other health benefits, ranging from controlling high blood pressure to reducing inflammation and even blood sugar levels. A person with diabetes should not avoid fruit in general, as it is essential for a balanced diet. When eating fruits, all we need to be mindful of is our serving sizes — one serving of fresh fruit is approximately the amount that can fit into the palm of an adult hand!

June 16, 2022

Where the mangoes thrive: Rajshahi to Chapai Nawabganj

Mangoes might feel like just another fruit, but to the people of Rajshahi and its environs, they are a way of life. It is no wonder that the love for mango permeates Bengali culture, as witnessed by literature that is replete with references to magnificent mango trees and the sweet, cool and deep shade under the bountiful boughs, enticing the weary travellers to stop a while. For people like me, enjoying the fruits of nature are an act of devotion.

June 14, 2022