Anwar Ratol to Fajri, the sweet taste of summer in Karachi

Karachi

Several varieties of mango ripen in July but among these ‘Anwar Ratol’ stands out most. The fruit is ovate in shape and medium to large in size, and round with a slightly flattened base. The skin is green, thin and develops a slightly yellow background when fully ripe. The flesh is fibreless, yellowish brown, scented and very sweet in taste. It is available from May to July.

Among the other kinds of mangoes is ‘Anwar Ratol’ which was planted in a town called Ratol in Tehsil Baghput, District Merath some 150 years ago. Jeweller, Mohammad Afaq Afridi planted this variety in his garden where it became quite popular. Afridi named it ‘Anwar Ratol’ after his village Ratol.

Moreover, another kind of mango is called ‘Khas-ul-Khas’. This belongs to District Shahabad, of the Uttar Pardesh Province. It is also called ‘Fakhr-e-Shahabad’. The fruit is very sweet and its flesh is green from the inside. It is rarely found in Pakistani mango farms on a commercial scale.

‘Aman Abdali’ is another rare kind of mango. This mango got its title from the famous Mujahid Ahmed Shah Abdali. It is also called ‘Safeed Maleehabadi’ and ‘Juwar-i- Safeed’. This mango is not very popular in Pakistan.

This same region also contains ‘Shams-ul-Asmar’, produced in the early 18th century. This type was first called ‘Banglow’ however later a farmer, Abdul Hameed Khan Alvpuri suggested the name ‘Shams-ul-Asmar’. The fruit is slightly wheatish and is delicious on account of its mildly sweet taste.

Among late harvesting mangoes ‘Sammar Bahisht Chaunsa’ is another unique variety. The fruit is medium in size with a slightly flattened base and a prominent beak point. The thin skin is greenish yellow while the pulp is yellow.

This variety is also very sweet in taste and is sparsely fibrous. It is available from June to August. This is the offspring of the ‘Fajri’ family. The fruit was first planted by Khan Bahader Syed in his garden located in village Chaunsa, Tehsil Sindeela, District Herdohi.

However, initially it was called ‘Khajri’ and is still known by that name in Lucknow. Later, during the 19th century it was renamed ‘Sammar Bahisht’ in Maleekhabad while ‘Chaunsa’ was added to the name because of the region of origin.

‘Sammar Bahisht Rampuri’ is a bitter and tasteless variety of mango. The pulp is white and fibreless. The skin is hard and after ripening it tastes like ice cream. Interestingly, this mango is originally from Karan town District, Merath and not Rampur.

Some body sent these mangoes as a gift to Kalb Ali Khan who was the Nawab of Rampur state at the time.

The mango pleased the Nawab so much that he bought the original plant at the cost of Rs5000 and pegged an iron cage around it. The Rampur Police was assigned the duty of protecting this plant forever. Due to the respect shown by the Nawab, the said variety of mango was later named ‘Sammar Bahisht Rampur’.

Among other late harvesting mangoes, the ‘Fajri’ family of mangoes takes second place. There are several sub-varieties of ‘Fajri’ mangoes: ‘Fajri Zafrani’, ‘Fajri Bhagalpur’, ‘Fajri Gola’, ‘Fajri Long’ and ‘Fajri Klan’. ‘Fajri Klan’ was produced by cross breeding. ‘Sammar Bahashit Chaunsa’ is also an offshoot of the ‘Fajri Klan’, whereas ‘Zumrad’, ‘Almas’, ‘Hameedia’ which is also called ‘Char Chand’ are considered its grandchildren. Subsequently, ‘Fajri’ is also called the father of fruits or ‘Abu-al-Asmars’. It ripens in September and is a very unique breed of mango. As for the story behind the name, it is said that there was a widow by the name of Fajri who lived in the city of Malda, in Mahla Neem Sra. She inherited a tree which grew these mangoes from her forefathers and it was thus named so.

‘Fajri Bolawala’ is very similar to ‘Fajri Klan’. Its shape greatly resembles that of ‘Fajri Klan’. ‘Fajri Bolawal’ was produced for the first time in Tehsil Rajunpur, District Ghazi Khan at Banglow Bolawala. Some 40 years ago among the late harvesting mangoes, the ‘Kala Chaunsa’ and ‘Chitta (White) Chaunsa’ were introduced as new varieties at a private nursery in Multan. The ‘Black Chaunsa’ maintains its taste and shape till August but after that the fruit is left on trees as its taste changes. The ‘Chitta (white) Chaunsa’ is larger than the ‘Black Chaunsa’. Its yield varies from year to year.

‘Sensation’ is a variety that is imported from Florida. The base of this mango is slightly flat while its skin is an attractive yellow with a tinge of red. The flesh is light yellow with firm texture and a sweet and sour taste. This type is available from June to September.

Furthermore, ‘Sanglakhi’ ripens between September and October. The fruit is round and rock hard, and is therefore called ‘Sanglakhi’. It is not very sweet but is fibrous and has a exotic aroma.

Other varieties include ‘Shams-ul-Asmar’, ‘Safeed Maleekhabad’, ‘Khas-ul-Khas’ and ‘Shahabad’. The above mentioned varieties are those that are either commercially popular or have been documented.