The West Bengal Horticulture Department and the Food Processing Industries Department has organised the Bengal Mango Utsav near the Sahid Minar, Kolkata, which has brought mango producers and sellers from all over the country on a single platform. The festival will continue till Saturday, 13 June.
During this three-day mango fair, different types of mouth-watering Bengal mango varieties like Himsagar, Laxmanbhog, Langra and Fazli are being displayed and sold. The smaller varieties of the ‘king of fruit’ like Champ, Sarenga, Bhabani, Ranipasand, etc are rarely available in Kolkata.
Mango lovers are trying out these varieties which they have never heard or tasted before. These are smaller in size but have a unique taste and scent.
A single mango of these varieties weighs only 100 gms. In contrast, the larger ones Mallika, Himan Pasand, etc weigh more than 700 gms each. The famous Alphanso mango, which is grown in small pockets of Andhra Pradesh, also finds its way here in the fair. Gadda Maar, on the other hand, is used mainly to make tasty pickles.
State Food Processing Industries Minister Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury said they are organising such a festival for the first time in Kolkata. Present at the inaugural ceremony were State Consumer Affairs Minister Sadhan Pandey, Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose, MoS of the Minorities Dept, Giyasuddin Mollah.