Tejal Sampat, of San Jose, taste tests mangoes at Shastha Foods in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, May 10, 2024. These days, mangoes cost about $1 each at your local grocery store. Often sourced from the Philippines or Mexico, they’re increasingly common in stores this month as the fruit comes into season.
Syamala Raghuram, Co Founder and president, holds a mango at Shastha Fresh, the delivery arm of the Indian foods company Shastha Food, in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Shastha has been importing 10+ varieties of Indian mangoes to sell to customers in the South Bay and beyond, and the demand is high.
Kesar and alphonso mangoes, for example, are native to India’s western region; the bright yellow kesar are both sweet and sour, while the tangerine-colored alphonso are bigger, smoother and almost buttery in taste. And the green and red South Indian rajapuri mango is even bigger, more sour and softer in texture, compared to the almost egg-shaped green-yellow rasalu mango that’s smaller, more fibrous and juicy.
The huge turnout for the events is due, at least in part, to the influence of local Instagram celebrity Ronil California. California, who uses a pseudonym because of his visa status, posted an Instagram reel about an in-person mango tasting that Shastha was hosting at its warehouse on May 5 for the 83,000 followers on his page @californiaaa_baybae.
Inexpensive mangoes typically available at American supermarkets often pale in comparison to Indian varieties, as they can be crunchy, sour or stringy, missing the familiar sweetness and bite that many South Asians know and love. Mangoes are stacked at Shastha Fresh, the delivery arm of the Indian foods company Shastha Food, in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Shastha has been importing 10+ varieties of Indian mangoes to sell to customers in the South Bay and beyond, and the demand is high. Mani Krishnan, Founder and president of Shastha Foods, right, tastes mangoes at Shastha Foods in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, May 10, 2024.