The Chausa or Chaunsa mango of Pakistan is certainly in the worlds’ top ten varieties available. It is an exceptionally sweet mango with a wonderful fragrance and delicious soft, succulent flesh with only the minimum of fibre. Externally, as with many Asian mangoes, it is not a fruit of beauty, usually being of a pale, matt yellow appearance, but once inside the thin peel it is a delight. In Urdu, the name Chausa means ‘sucker’, so named because the mango is so delicious that not a fragment can be left. Chausa has quite a thick stone and the flesh is a fairly light yellow in colour.
This is a wonderful mango and highly recommended to consumers. In UK, Chausa is generally purchased by the box from Asian grocery stores, though some supermarkets (notably Asda, Morrisons and Tesco) do occasionally stock them in large stores.
Rating: *****
Ripening: Chaunsa is ripe when the tenderness of the flesh can be felt through the thin peel, the flesh is becoming quite soft and the peel colour is becoming a slightly deeper pale yellow. There may also be some slight wrinkling of the peel, which is not of concern. It is often possible to buy fruit that still has a green tinge to the peel: this doesn’t nesessarily mean the fruit will be immature, especially by late July or August, though best to avoid in June, at the beginning of the season.
Origin: Rahim Yar Khan and Multan districts of Punjab in Pakistan.
Grown in: Pakistan
Harvest & Availability:
Late June to early September: from Pakistan
