Pakistani Mango Season: Varieties and What to Make

For a few months every summer, Pakistan is consumed by mangoes. Crates appear on every street, families send boxes to relatives abroad, and the question of which variety is best can start arguments that last until the next season. Pakistan is one of the world’s major mango producers, and many Pakistanis will tell you, with complete confidence, that its mangoes are the best in the world.

Here’s a guide to the main varieties and what to do with them.

When is mango season?

The season runs roughly from late May to September, with different varieties arriving at different times. Sindh’s mangoes ripen first, because the province is hotter; Punjab’s follow from mid-summer. The exact timing shifts a little each year with the weather.

The main varieties

Sindhri is the big, early mango from Sindh: large, oval, with smooth yellow skin and sweet, fibre-free flesh. It’s usually the first to arrive in early summer and is excellent for shakes.

Chaunsa is, for many people, the king of Pakistani mangoes. Grown mainly in southern Punjab, around Multan and Rahim Yar Khan, it arrives in high summer and is intensely sweet and aromatic. There are several types, including the popular safaid (white) Chaunsa. It’s traditionally eaten by softening the mango in your hands and sucking the pulp through a small hole at the top.

Anwar Ratol is small, with a strong fragrance and very sweet flesh. Its season is short, and fans consider it the most flavourful of all.

Langra stays green-skinned even when ripe, with a slightly tangy sweetness. It’s good for eating fresh and for chaat.

Dusehri is an early, elongated mango with a thin skin and a delicate flavour.

Late-season varieties such as Fajri and Saroli keep the season going towards September.

Choosing ripe mangoes

• Smell the stem end. A ripe mango has a strong, sweet fragrance.
• Press gently. It should give slightly, like a ripe peach.
• Don’t judge by colour alone. Some varieties, like Langra, stay green when ripe.
• Avoid black patches and wrinkled skin, a sign of overripe or damaged fruit.

Many mangoes in Pakistani markets are ripened with calcium carbide, which ripens the skin faster than the flesh. Naturally ripened mangoes, often sold at a premium, have a deeper flavour. Wash mangoes well and soak them in water for an hour before eating; it’s a common Pakistani habit that also cools the fruit.

What to make with mangoes

Mango shake: ripe mango blended with cold full-fat milk, the juice-shop way. Sindhri and Chaunsa are ideal.

Mango lassi: mango and yogurt, thicker and tangier than a shake.

Kulfi: stir mango pulp into the reduced milk before freezing for mango kulfi.

Fruit chaat: cubes of mango with banana, apple and guava, chaat masala and a squeeze of orange.

Raw mango: before the season peaks, green unripe mangoes are made into tangy achar and chutney. See our guide to achar.

Eating mangoes the Pakistani way

The simplest way is often the best: a chilled, ripe mango, cut into cheeks, eaten after lunch. Pakistanis eat them with enthusiasm and very little ceremony, standing over the sink if necessary. If the juice runs down your arm, you’re doing it right.