Indian mangoes prove a hit in Washington

Hundreds of visitors queued up in Washington's popular Dupont Circle on Saturday afternoon to sample Indian mangoes at the annual Mango Festival, with many calling for wider availability of premium Indian varieties in the United States as organisers showcased the country's rich horticultural diversity.

The festival, organised by the Embassy of India in Washington in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Department of Commerce and the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District, featured several popular Indian mango varieties, including Alphonso, Kesar, Dasheri, Langra, Banganapalli, Chausa, Malda and Rajapuri.

Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the festival has grown rapidly over the years and has become an annual attraction.

The Ambassador said visitors had gathered not only for mangoes but also to experience Indian cuisine.

"If you go around Dupont Circle... you will find multiple... queues of people essentially wanting to taste the Indian mango. Indian rice is served alongside biryani here. Indian tea, Indian coffee... People are joyful. People are enjoying, we feel happy about it," Kwatra said.

"We need to have more quantities of mango coming in, but invariably they come, and they are sold even before they find the shelf space on the shelves," he said.

Visitors echoed that sentiment after tasting the fruit.

One attendee, who identified herself as Crystal, described the Rajapuri variety as her favourite.

"I've heard a lot of fantastic stories about Indian mangoes... this is so different, and it's like sweet and soft, and it's great. I love it," she said.

Another visitor, David Woodhead, said tasting the fruit brought back memories of India.

"These mangoes, as soon as I tasted them, it's just like I sat on a time machine and went back to India... The flavour is so rich, and we can't get it at Costco. We can't get this in the US, and these mangoes are just different," he said.

Indian mangoes offer flavours unavailable in commonly sold varieties, another visitor, Radha said.

"We do take the Mexican mangoes from the Indian store. But... they don't have the same flavour I just had... it'd be good if we had more of those. The flavours are really very distinct," the visitor said.

An exporter participating in the festival said the overwhelming response had encouraged Indian suppliers to expand their offerings.

Ravi Soni, one of the exporters, said his company currently exports only a handful of varieties but plans significant expansion.

"We've been supplying various varieties from India, trying to increase the number of varieties from just four to five to almost 15 to 20 next year," he said, adding that visitors should find "much more affordable" Indian mangoes and a wider selection in the coming year.

India is the world's largest producer of mangoes and grows hundreds of varieties across different states, though only a limited number are exported due to phytosanitary requirements and the specialised treatment required before shipment. Premium varieties such as Alphonso, Kesar and Banganapalli enjoy a loyal following among the Indian diaspora and a growing number of American consumers.

Exports of Indian mangoes to the United States have gradually expanded in recent years through APEDA and approved irradiation facilities. Promotional events such as the annual Mango Festival in Washington are intended to increase awareness of Indian produce, strengthen agricultural trade and deepen people-to-people ties between India and the United States.