Hearing that a “sought-after” London dealer is offering an “international” and “decadent” product that customers must pay for “by weight” might ring alarm bells for some, said Elizabeth Paton in the Financial Times. Yet, for the “initiated”, procuring “delicious and extremely expensive” Alphonso mangoes is a yearly challenge.
However, this year’s crop is proving to be more expensive than ever for aficionados. These prized mangoes “have complex supply chains that spread all over the world, from Dubai to London, Hong Kong to San Francisco”. And these are now increasingly fragile as a result of global unrest, climate change and a host of imitators.
Known as the “king of mangoes” for their “sweetness, rich flavour and distinctive aroma”, Alphonso mangoes – originally from India – are typically only found in the UK “between April and June”, said the BBC. However, the tropical fruit may not appear as frequently on stalls this year as supply chain issues have hit traders hard. But despite the “higher cost”, demand “remains strong”, with customers from across London queueing up at stalls to get their hands on an Alphonso.
All across the world “faithful” Indian mango devotees are “leaving work meetings, stalking WhatsApp groups and paying lobster prices” in the hopes of securing “their fix of the sweet delicacy”, said The Wall Street Journal.
And customers must also grapple with the threat of “counterfeits” from unscrupulous suppliers trying to fill gaps in the market, said Bloomberg. Imitators are on the rise, not just within India, but also from “other continents”. A failure to increase yields means consumers may soon see a “Ghana Alphonso taking New York by storm”. |
