Mango fest in Lko: Taimur, Jahangir, Mir Jafar - not so aam after all
Uttar Pradesh Mango Festival-2024 features unique mango varieties like Farzi Log, Jamadar, and Alif Laila. Lucknow man showcases 22 mango dishes at the event.
Farzi Log, Nazuk Badan, Jamadar, Jalal, Alif Laila, Sensation, Kala Pedi, Swarn Chitala, Hardil Azeez, Thai Cruze - no, these are not names of stage plays, but names of mangoes on display at the three-day Uttar Pradesh Mango Festival-2024, at the Avadh Shilp Gram, which began on Friday.
And that’s not all. There was one named after Mughal Emperor Jahangir, while another was named after Bengal nawab Mir Jafar. Similarly, a medium sized mango was christened after Mongol-Turk conqueror Taimur.
Jalal, Aamin Khurd, Haider Sahab, Tommy Atkins were also head turners.
According to Shailendra Rajan, former director of Lucknow’s ICAR-Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture and a mango variety exhibitor for over three decades, “These names are usually chosen on the basis of the qualities they have. For instance, the Arunika variety refers to sunlight as they are red in colour.”
Lko man shines with 22 mango dishes
Combining the classic Indian desserts with the rich flavour of ripe mangoes, Lucknow man Pawan Kumar Gupta, a resident of BKT, can make 22 delicacies using mango, whose stall at Mango Festival drew a huge crowd of mango lovers.
“Jalebi, Laddu, Rasgulla, halwa, ice cream, Kacche Aam ki Kheer, among other 20-22 delicacies I can make using mango,” said Gupta, who runs a catering business.
“I use 40% of the mango pulp and 60% of all-purpose flour for making the jalebis. So, mango jalebi can be healthier than the regular jalebi, depending upon the ingredients used,” added Gupta, who opined that it is important to innovate to sustain in the food business.