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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. 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!!