Miguel Braganza
We are now at the peak of the mango season in Goa. Only few mango maniacs like me search for fruits of different mango varieties to taste each summer. Other Goans are happy to eat Mankurad and then more Mankurad mangoes, as if there is no other mango variety in Goa. “Ambo mhonnge Mankurad” or ‘Mango means Mankurad’ is their refrain. Those familiar with the Portuguese language correct them and insist it be called ‘Malcorada’. They will have none of it. Mankurad is the officially registered G.I name for the mango variety.
Way back in 1980, the ‘All India Mango Show’ was held in Panaji, then the capital of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman & Diu., former deputy directors of Agriculture Fernando do Rego and Kutbudin A. Kazi of the Goa, Daman & Diu Directorate of Agriculture presented a research paper listing the different varieties of mangoes in Goa. The Manga Hilario won a prize at that show in early July, 1980. In 1987, the Agriculture Officers’ Association (AOA), Goa, organised the first ‘All Goa Mango Show’ at the Institute Menezes Braganza. It was the first time that a large number of mango varieties of Goan origin came into public consciousness. The Manga Hilario mango from Hugo Chico, then the SBI Manager at Bambolim, won the ‘Mango of the Show’ award. Little surprise then that the Manga Hilario mango was the second candidate for Geographical Indication after the Mankurad mango.
The Manga Hilario or Mangilar is arguably the best mango variety of Goa. It was a “chance seedling” of a superior mango fruit from a tree that grew out of a casually discarded mango seed and is named after Hilario Fernandes of Siolim. His son was later a minister in the Government of the Union Territory. It has light butter yellow to ivory colour pulp that is firm, melting, juicy and aromatic. The cut edge of the peel is saffron coloured. Its major disadvantage is that the fruits ripening during the monsoons often have maggots of fruit flies, if not controlled. The Manga Hilario at TSS of 23 Brix has a slightly higher sugar level than the Mankurad at 21 Brix. The third mango variety that has a G.I. for Goa is the Mussorad or Monserrata variety. Its time has not yet come.
A limited number of copies of ‘As Mangas De Goa’ or ‘Mangoes Of Goa’(2018) a bilingual edition by Rego published by Fundacao Oriente, Lisbon, are available in Goa. There is a wealth of information easily available to persons interested in mangoes in the book ‘Mangoes of Goan Origin’ (1995) published by ICAR-Goa Research Centre, Old Goa, with descriptions and coloured photographs of mangoes. Once easily available for Rs. 50 only, it is now out of print. One can see a number of these mango varieties in the market these days. A good opportunity to see mangoes, learn more about them and to buy grafts to plant at home is coming up on this weekend at the ’Konkan Fruit Fiesta’, Rosary School grounds, NH-66, Navelim, Salcete.
