Its the king of fruits . Whenever summer sets in, the excitement soars . Its like a relative who comes to visit you every summer vacation . Its Mango .

I remember how Baba used to be very excited almost everyday, on who has been the new entrant in the market, how the mangoes have been ripened this season and how the seller has told him which ones can be eaten on the same day and which ones later.

Each state has their own variety and what beautiful names they have – Alfonso , Peyaraphuli ,Gulabkhas , Chausa , Himsagar, Lyangra  to name a few  . Throughout my childhood till I was old enough to understand, I used to think them as some fictional characters whom Baba used to meet while he went for shopping in the market. On his return, he would inevitably discuss with Ma – Lyangra is yet to come , there were no good Himsagar etc etc . Once I figured out that these are names of varieties of Mangoes, an entire world was left for me to explore .

They come in different shapes, sizes, colours and also shelf life . There is perhaps no other fruit which has such a wide range of usage .  It is simply eaten as a fruit , used in desserts , in main courses as ruling flavor , in yogurt , in ice cream, as a puree – the list goes on . Its as if the recipe gets a makeover with the flavour of mango when it sets in .

Mango Gelato Sandesh fusion mango sweet by pikturenama

Mango Gelato Sandesh

Sweets are no exception . There is a great variety of sweets in summers which tend to have a flavour of aam (Mango) or a dash of mango in it . On our sweet trail in Kolkata, for finding out the few best sweet shops in Kolkata and enjoying the privilege of tasting the sweets too, we came across two sweets which will definitely be a rage this season.

1. Aam Sandesh or Mango Sandesh by Nalin Chandra Das – This is a traditional Sandesh ( cottage cheese based bengali sweet) with Mango flavour . With the first bite one gets that distinct flavour of green mango, but the surprise lies in the centre with a blob of mango jelly.  Its very moist with explosion of 2 distinct flavours inside the mouth.

Classic Bengali Sweet Aam Sandesh or Mango Sandesh by pikturenama

Classic Aam Sandesh

2. Mango Gelato Sandesh by Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick  – We never heard of this till we came across the Mango gelato Sandesh at Balaram Mullick and Radharomon Mullick. Its rich, its creamy and its not only flavour but one can enjoy bites of mango chunks inside. Its one of those sweets which is a clear winner from the beginning and the taste will linger in the mouth for a long time.

Close up of Mango Gelato Sandesh

Close up of Mango Gelato Sandesh

Mango gelato Sandesh an ideal summer sandesh by pikturenama

Mango Gelato Sandesh – an ideal summer bengali sweet

 

Unfortunately Mango gelato Sandesh cannot be delivered outside Kolkata because its consumable within a day, however for any sweet lover who is visiting Kolkata in the summer, this one is a must try.

Sweethandi is delivering Aam Sandesh or Mango Sandesh across India which can be ordered from their website . A chunk of mango along with a slice of Kolkata awaits to be delivered to you .