Blogpost Title: Dilli’s Mango Mania Is Back

There’s something unmistakably joyful about mango season in Delhi. As the first wave of summer fully takes hold of the capital, the intense heat seems to lose some of its sting at the promise of the season’s most awaited delight — mangoes. The roadsides near Azadpur Mandi, INA Market and even neighbourhood sabziwalas gleam under yellow and orange hues. Alphonsos, Langdas, Dasheris, and Safedas — each mango name carries a scent of nostalgia, tucked into millions of childhood memories.

This year, social media is going wild over Delhi’s new obsession with freshly introduced ‘Japanese Miyazaki Mangoes’. Known as the world’s most expensive mango, these ruby-red jewels are priced at an astonishing ₹2.5 lakh per kilogram, and a handful of vendors in Central Delhi claim to be selling imported samples for those adventurous (and affluent) enough to splurge. It isn’t surprising then that Instagram reels and Twitter threads are glowing with comparisons, taste reviews, and even mini mango haul videos where people show off their treasure trove of seasonal fruits.

While it’s certainly fascinating to track the buzz created by this luxury fruit, for the rest of us, the joy of mango season lies not in rare imports but in messy fingers, sticky chins and sweet familiarity. There’s something simple and grounding about picking mangoes from stacked fruit crates, smelling their sugary ripeness, and bargaining with the vendor for one more piece “free mein”.

Interestingly, the mango madness seems to be more heightened in Delhi this year, possibly due to the longing that past pandemic summers infused. People are making up for the lost seasons. Mango-tasting fests are popping up in niche boutique cafés in Shahpur Jat and Hauz Khas. Artisanal brands are launching ‘aam’ themed gelato, kombucha, and even spiced mango butter toast. Delhi’s chefs are getting inventive, tossing Dussehri chunks into chaats with feta, or blending raw Totapuri into mocktails rimmed with pink salt.

But beyond the hype and culinary creativity lies a larger story of abundance and sharing. In neighbourhoods like Lajpat Nagar, elderly uncles reminisce about carrying baskets of Safedas from Sabzi Mandi on hot afternoons, and distributing them amongst family. In households all across the city, summer means aam panna chilled in steel bottles, mango pickles maturing in the sun, and perhaps one cheeky fight over who gets the last slice at the table.

For Delhiites, mango season is not just about the fruit, but what the fruit brings with it — a collective sense of celebration. In a city that rushes from chaos to commute, a fruit like mango forces us to pause, sit back under a fan with slivers of sunshine on our plates, and just relish.

If you haven’t stepped into your local market yet, this is the perfect weekend to do just that. Try a fruit you haven’t before — maybe the melt-in-mouth Imam Pasand or a tangy Banganapalli. And if you’re lucky to spot a Miyazaki mango, take a picture — or better yet, share a slice with someone. After all, no one ever enjoyed mangoes quietly or alone in Delhi.

#DelhiLovesMangoes #MangoSeason2024 #MiyazakiInDelhi #AamKaTashan #SaddidilliEats