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July 9, 2010

Coral Gables, Florida

The ZZ Group participated in the International Mango festival that is held every year by the Fairchild Botanical Garden in Coral Gables in Florida. The Fairchild Botanical garden is dedicated to growing mango varieties from all over the world and with leading mango experts, Dr. Richard Campbell and Noris Ledesma in the lead, the garden also sells Mango trees of all varieties to the general public.

This year the festival celebrated the Indian Mango- Mangozz.com was represented by Jaidev who introduced the company to the audience and also presented the North Indian mangoes (Langra, Chausa and Dussehri) to the audience. This was followed by a demonstration of how to savor the heavenly nectar of the Langra mango by sucking on it. Mangozz.com also donated fresh Chausa mango for tasting at the festival.

More than 11,000 visitors attended the festival and there were demos by leading chefs and experts such as Madhur Jaffrey and Allen Susser, Norman Van Aken, Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Mark Militello among others. Mangozz.com also introduced the Indian Mango Ice Cream, Gourmet Indian Mango Jam and the Gourmet Indian Mango Chutney at the festival. The response was phenomenal. The Mangozz.com stall was among the most heavily visited stalls at the festival.

On our part, we were introduced to the mango loving public in Florida and were very impressed by their knowledge of the world mangoes. We also interfaced with growers who are trying to grow the Indian mango in Peru, the Dominican Republic and other countries in the American continents. We wish the festival continued success and laud the efforts made by the Fairchild Botanical Garden to bring the mango to the American Pallette.

We came back from the festival with a commitment to make our products, particularly the ice cream, available to the local markets in Florida. We also look forward to serving mango lovers from Florida in the near future with our products and services.

Jaidev, mangozz.com

Link: http://mangozz.com/showProducts.action

June 20, 2010

Mangozz.com

Mangozz.com confirmed today shipments of Langra and Dussehri mango to the USA. A single shipment of the Langra mango is planned for the first week of July, 2010. We have received a lot of requests from our customers to get Langra, Chausa and Dussehri mangoes to the USA this season. Consequently, we are taking extreme measures to bring these varieties this year. Since only a single shipment is planned for 2010, it is best to order early since the website closes down a shipment when it is full. Orders can be placed at http://www.mangozz.com/showProducts.action

This will be the first full shipment of the Langra mango to the US in this century. Langra, Chausa and Dussehri mangoes are grown in Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are enjoyed by one and all in these regions. Of the thousands of varieties of mangoes from these areas, these three are most famous.

Jaidev, mangozz.com

May 27, 2010

There will be no Banganpalli shipment to the US this year. Mangozz.com had planned 1 shipment in the first week of June, but had to finally cancel it. It was dodged by factors beyond our control from the very beginning. First, the Telangana strife came which grounded everything in the region. Then the Cyclone hit which devastated the mango crop. Pushed by our customers, we made a final push and found a registered orchard that still had Banganpalli mango for export to the US.

At this time the Authorities stepped in to tell us that they had changed the box for Banganpalli (seems like this was mentioned in a circular or in the minutes of a meeting that was held at some time). We now need a special box for export of Banganpalli to the US. We requested that we be allowed to use the existing smaller box (which has been used in the past) at our risk, but our request was not accepted. As much as we hate to disappoint our customers, we had to finally decide and skip Banganpalli this year. We can only say that we tried our level best till the end.

Banganpalli mango is one of the most popular varieties of Mangoes from the Andra region of India. It is a big mango and extremely sweet when ripe. For it's proponents, it is the Pride of Andra Pradesh. It is used in so many different ways, that even imagination cannot fathom its usage.

We hope to bring it to the US next year- at least 1 shipment. We will screen the orchards and pick the best ones for you- that we promise.

Jaidev, mangozz.com

Link: http://www.mangozz.com/blogs

Friday, May 6, 2010

Devgad, India

Today was a unique day in the history of Devgad. After a long wait of many decades, the first shipment of Alphonso mangoes from this region was flagged off to the USA. The ZZ Group, which owns the website mangozz.com, is the lucky recipient of these mangoes. With this shipment the customers of this website will also make history- they will be among the first in the US to taste the world renowed Devgad Alphonso mangoes for the first time in decades.

Devgad is a small village town in the state of Maharashtra in India. It is about 100 kms from it's more famous cousin, Ratnagiri, which boasts of the best Alphonso mangoes in the world. But over time, Devgad has built a steady following of mango enthusiasts who feel that the Devgad Alphonso is marginally better than the Ratnagiri Alphonso. The rivalry about which region has the best Alphonso is legendary. Two close neighbors, each claiming to be the best, each having its cheerleaders around the world, each trying to be better than the other and each producing great Alphonso mango in the process. We are happy just sitting on the sidelines tasting fruit from either side urging both to keep giving us great fruit.

In terms of demand, both the regions have seen a huge demand for their mango over the years. Orchard owners are generally small farmers, although bigger orchards have come up in the past decade. The Alphonsos grown in this region sometimes sell as high as 10 times the price as compared to Alphonso grown in other regions. Outside people still ask- what is so special about this Alphonso. After all it is still a mango- it has the same problems that any other Alphonso has. So what is all this fuss about? To an Alphonso lover, this question is as superfluous as asking- What is so special about Brazil and Argentina playing football or India and Pakistan playing Hockey, after all it is only a game.

All Alphonsos are equal, but some Alphonsos are more equal than the others. Perhaps, it has something to do with the climate of the region or the soil, but the fruit grown in Devad and Ratnagiri tastes, looks and smells different to an Alphonso lover. Or perhaps it has something to do with generations of mango growers in the region who have refined the art of growing Alphonsos over hundreds of years. People say, it is only a matter of time that others will start growing Alphonsos. People have been growing Alphonsos in other parts of India and the world, but Ratnagiri/Devgad Alphonsos will always be special. While the rest of the world tries to reproduce the environment and develop the expertise that growers from Ratnagiri and Devgad amalgamated over centuries, we will be happy to keep enjoying the best that this region has to offer.

Mangozz.com takes orders for Ratnagiri/Devgad Alphonso mangoes on it's website at http://www.mangozz.com/showProducts.action. The season is from mid April to end of May. With such a short season, there isn't much scope to wait, watch and evaluate the crop every week. True, there are bouts of good and bad crop as with any produce, mango lovers mop up every bit of fruit they can get. While some evaluate the value they are getting for the huge some of money they pay for their mango and whether with all the wastage it is worth it,  others wonder what good they did in their life to deserve such heavenly fruit thousands of miles away. And thus the saga of value, price, folklore and legend continues!!

At mangozz.com, the first challenge is to select the best crop and secure it for it's customers before anyone else can whisk it away.  With such a huge global demand for the fruit, despite such high prices, the quality risks are tremendous. The second challenge is to transport the fruit all the way from the orchards to the packhouses, inspection stations, airports, warehouses and shipping companies to the consumers in a form that preserves the freshness, aroma, look and taste of the fruit.

With the high costs involved, the third challenge is how to live upto the tremendous expectations of the consumer every single time for every single mango. A mango which travels from across the border in Mexico does not have to face the same scrutiny. If a few or all mangoes in a box are bad, are sour or don't ripen properly, they get thrown away and no one gives it a second thought. Although the Alphonsos travel from half way around the world, against all odds, but if even a single Alphonso goes black, deteriorates in any fashion, does not smell as good, is not great in size, does not look good, does not taste heavenly, exhibits sponginess or does not ripen properly, that is not acceptable. For such a high priced fruit, to a reluctant buyer, to place an order in the first place is a huge leap of faith. And still some get great fruit, while others don't- that is perhaps good karma!

In India, it is said that everyone, rich or poor,  around the Ratnagiri/Devgad region has a desire to taste at least one good Ratnagiri/Alphonso mango every season. The same might be true for anyone who has tasted a great Alphonso anytime in their life. When you experience nirvana, it changes you forever. When you have consumed a heavenly Alphonso, you start searching for the nirvana you just experienced. If you doubt this, ask any Alphonso lover!!

Link: http://www.mangozz.com/showProducts.action

April 26, 2010

The first shipment of the Indian Alphonso Mango from the Ratnagiri Region of India has been delivered. Everyone should receive their shipment by Wednesday (latest by Thursday).

The next shipment (4-26-2010) is closed and currently on its way. It is scheduled to be handed over to Shipping on Thursday- should be delivered by Saturday.

We are currently taking orders for the Mother's Day shipment. Gift orders for the Mother's day shipment are guaranteed to be delivered by Mother's day. So please place your orders now at http://www.mangozz.com/showProducts.action

jaidev.