Mangos! And Indian Mangos?

[zEli173]

This week I have finally begun to find good ripe mangos at the sidewalk vendors in Chinatown and elsewhere around town. It seems like the season has gotten a bit of a late start, but they are here now! They're still not quite at their peak as the ones I've purchased could have afforded a little more tree ripening, but pretty delicious.

The best I've seen yet have been at the corner of Canal and Baxter and the Corner of Allen and East Broadway. Anyone come across a good source?

Finally, what's the word on INDIAN Mangos? Where can I find them???

[branny]

I was just at the Tribeca Food Emporium and they had a bunch of Alphonso mangos - a stack of boxes about 3 feet high - and most of them were ripe. They're going at 3 for $5.

[guttergourmet]

I have always bought mangos from the Caribbean. Food Emporium at Union Square last weekend got in the Indian mangos-3 for $5- and though much smaller then the Caribbean mangos, the taste and perfume were amazing! Like eating a mango lassi. I pray they still have them when I go back.

[kathryn]

Damn! That's cheap. Were they very ripe? What was the quality? Any bruised ones? Are they still in their foam wrappers when you buy them?

[guttergourmet]

Ripe, foam wrappers, one slightly bruised but still good. Mrs. GG who grew up in Cuba still prefers the Caribbean mangos but this is a whole new experience for me. The perfume alone is incredible.

[kathryn]

Thanks! I have dispatched the fiance there to grab some. I hope they still have them...

The alphonso's smell like saffron, don't they?

[kathryn]

By which I mean, the KESARS smell and taste like saffron.

Anyway, no Indian Mangoes at Food Emporium Meh. Union Square location is sold out and so is the Tribeca one. They said maybe more on Friday. Didn't try the uptown ones.

Instead I went to Dual Grocery Store on 1st Ave between 4th and 5th, and got a box of 10 Kesars for $30. Yay!

[bothrops_asper]

fyi Patel Bros. was selling a box of Kesars for $20 two weeks ago, i'm not sure if they still are. "Just flown in on British Airways" i was told. It's getting towards the end of the season I believe, so load up. Our box had 10 mangos, all very fresh.

[MsAlyp]

Just tried on 6/17 and Food Emporium Union Sq no longer has them.

[kathryn]

They're back. A big pile, right in front of the pre-cut fruit section, before the rest of the produce. They were getting pretty ripe. Some were heavily bruised and starting to be overriped. I think a lot of people have been picking through the pile as the wrappers were everywhere. I did manage to find some that were just ripe or about to ripen. 3 for $5. Not too shabby.

[LNG212]

Are Alfonso mangoes the same as ones marked "champagne" mangoes? I looked at photos on the internet and couldn't tell the difference. If they are the same, Fairway has had champagne mangoes for $0.99 each. They are delicious -- and I'm not usually a mango fan because of the texture.

[Miss Needle]

They are different. Champagne mangos are generally slightly larger than alfonsos. Taste is different as well. Alfonsos are creamier and sweeter than Champagne. Champagne magnos are pretty good. Actually, if they're properly ripe (which excludes all the magno abominations we get in the winter) I don't think I've met a mango that I didn't like.

[LNG212]

Thank you for the descriptions. It's hard to tell by internet photos to compare size or, especially, taste! Now I'll have to try the Alfonso, if I find it. :)

[chef chicklet]

Do you just peel and eat? I have two really nice ripe ones, I'm toying with a mango custard, or frozen gelato. Have you ever just made a puree, froze it, then made it into something wonderful later?

Also, mango sticky rice? Never had it. Anyone?

[kathryn]

Mango kulfi is what my friends make if they have too many going ripe at the same time. Myself, I just slice, cube, and eat with a spoon, and then gnaw around the seed. Getting a whole case of 14 means that you need to eat them fast, dependent on ripeness.

[sheila]

Can anyone tell that where can I find Alphonso mangos around Chinatown? I will visit NY two weeks later but I do not have a car.

[Miss Needle]

I don't think you're going to find Alphonso mangos in Chinatown. I purchased mine from a store on the corner of Lexington Ave and 29th Street, not too far from the 6 train station at 28th Street and Park Ave.

[MJPByron]

Patel Shah in Fairfield, NJ has Alphonsos, $33/doz.

[Love to Eat]

Got 12 Kesar for $32 at a smaller Indian store on Hillside Ave in Queens, it's right next to Usha's place. They are pricey but delicious. My 4 & 6yo went through 5 of them in 20 minutes. It's a few blocks east of Patel Bros, where I was headed but couldn't find parking.

[Miss Needle]

I picked up a couple of beauties at Kalustayan's over the weekend. And, yes, I would love to know if anybody has spotted those Alphonso mangoes in Manhattan yet. Kalustayans doesn't have them.

[kathryn]

What mangoes did you find at Kalustyan's, Tommy Atkins? Champagne mangoes?

(I went out to Jackson Heights, Patel Bros. for a box of Alphonsos last weekend. Plan on going back this weekend for another box of Alphonsos. We called last night and they said they'd have the Kesars in by today. I believe the Flushing location has them as well. 14 per case, $35 for a case, you must ask for them at the register. They're so delicious....)

[Miss Needle]

I don't know what type of these mangoes are but they're from Mexico and the name of the brand is Marathon. It's really good -- at least this batch. I've been disappointed from Kalustayans before.

Thanks for letting me know about Patel Brothers. I will try to make a trip out this weekend. Can't wait to try it.

[kathryn]

Yeah, Mexican mangoes are usually of the Tommy Atkins variety.

The Alphonso and Kesar mangoes, though, are of a different league.

[Eat_Nopal]

In Mexico... the Tommy Atkins (similar to the ubiquitous Petacon) are rare... I think they are mostly destined for foreign markets given their transportability... in California all the Mexican markets carry mostly Manila, Champagne, Ataulfo etc....

[rodeosweetheart]

This morning I walked by Patel Brothers and a sign out front said the Alphonsos are now down to $25 a case.

[davisready]

They are selling Alphonsos a few doors over from Kalustyans on the corner of 28th and Lex

[Miss Needle]

Thank you so much! That will save me some time.

[MichaelK]

I think you mean Spice Corner on the corner of 29th and Lex. They are selling Alphonsos by the case for $45 each although they said I can get a half case (six mangoes).

I've never tried an Indian mango, but the Haitian mangoes being sold on the street for $1.50 each are absolutely delicious - I have trouble believing that an Indian mango can be much better. Has anyone compared the two? By paying nearly triple will I be purchasing a markedly superior mango or just additional hype?

[kathryn]

I bought some from Spice Corner last year, too, but the prices were about twice that of what they were in Queens (they were $50/box of Kesar last year). My friends went to Patel Bros. said they were $25/box today (I paid $35/box last week), bleh!

My fiance thought he hated mangoes until he tried an Indian mango. I don't know if it's worth 3x the cost though. I prefer to take a sidetrip to Queens and get them for cheaper. At $25/box for 14 mangoes, it would be $1.79 a mango!

[Miss Needle]

Ok. I purchased 6 mangos at Spice Corner today. They came out to $24. I was so excited to try them. I picked the one that looked the most ripe and was so dismayed to find that 1/3 of the mango was rotten! I salvaged the unrotten parts and ate that. I hope the other ones aren't like this one. They are definitely delicious -- very sweet, not stringy, creamy tasting. But it is kind of expensive at $4 a mango (and they're about half the size of the Mexican ones and smaller than champagne mangos). Thank goodness the season doesn't last too long.

[Miss Needle]

All right. We opend up two more mangos after dinner and found that both of them were rotten -- perhaps not 1/3, but about 20 percent of it. Pretty much sucks, considering how much money we spent on them.

[davisready]

Michaelk, If having to choose betwween an Alphonso and a $1.50 Hatian mango, I would go with the Hatian variety. However, after trying a Kesar for the first time last year, it's really hard to go back two any other variety. Kesars are by far the best mangoes I've ever had.

BTW has anyone seen any Kesars in Manhattan? I think I'm gonna have to take a trip out to Jackson Heights soon!