Indian mangoes spark summer rush across US
Washington, June 10: From Seattle to Los Angeles and from New Jersey to Washington DC, Indian mangoes are triggering a summer buying frenzy across the United States, with shipments selling out within hours at major retailers as demand surges for varieties such as Kesar, Alphonso and Langra.
India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra says the fruit’s growing popularity reflects both diaspora nostalgia and widening American appreciation for Indian produce.
For decades, Indian Americans returning from summer visits home would carry memories of Alphonso, Kesar, Langra and Dussehri mangoes. Today, many of those same varieties are appearing in mainstream American retail stores, bringing a taste of India to consumers thousands of miles away. “You know, we all have a sense of diaspora, particularly in the US a sense of summer nostalgia as I call it when it comes to mango. Summer vacations remind us of the times when, we will enjoy mango and the deliciousness of this fruit to our heart’s content,” Kwatra told IANS ahead of a mango festival being organised by the Embassy of India in Washington later this month.
That nostalgia is now finding its way into American supermarkets.
“But we are now facing a very, very happy situation where this nostalgia is now available with American retailers,” he said.
The latest sign of Indian mangoes’ growing popularity came in Seattle, where the Consulate General of India hosted the second edition of “Mango Magic”, a promotion and tasting event that brought together more than 100 importers, distributors and senior representatives from major retailers, including Costco.
Guests sampled seven premium varieties of Indian mangoes — Alphonso and Kesar from Maharashtra, Banganpalli and Himayat from Andhra Pradesh, Langra and Dussehri from Uttar Pradesh, and Rajapuri from Gujarat.
Washington State Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck welcomed the introduction of a wider range of Indian mangoes to Washington State. State senators, diplomats and business leaders attended the event, which was organised in partnership with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
In May, Costco imported its first tranche of Indian Kesar mangoes to stores in Greater Seattle, Las Vegas, New Jersey and Greater Los Angeles. Costco representatives have reported that “all the Indian mangoes were sold out from these locations within two hours of their arrival on the shelves”. (IANS)
