Beginning with blooming in late winter, green mangoes are picked in late March and early April, but most are left to ripen from early May onwards. There are many varieties of mango that grow in Bangladesh, mostly classified on the basis of taste and species.

The most fertile land for growing mango is in the northwestern part of the country, Chapai Nawabganj district being the champion. Anyone taking a ride on the highway stretching from the district headquarters of Chapai Nawabganj toward the north-west to Shibganj and beyond, will go through thousands of miles of mango gardens.

It a scene worth seeing with your own eyes. If you are in a mango garden there in early March, you will really smell the aroma of blooming mango. There are also some gardens of high quality mangoes in the Dinajpur district. Elsewhere in Bangladesh, mango trees are common but do not yield quality fruit.

Varieties include Fazli, Gopalbhog, Langra and Himsagar. Fazli is the biggest, weighing around one kilogram each, and occasionally more. The other varieties are smaller, varying between 150 to 300 grams.

Green mango is a cultural delicacy for the people of Bangladesh. It is used mainly in preparing pickles. There are sour-and-hot, sweet-and-sour, sour and sweet-and-hot, each having its special taste. Skills in preparing pickles are considered a great qualification in the daily life. Pickles are eaten with ceremonial meals when guests are invited, particularly for lunch. A serving of mango pickles adds grandeur to the dining table. Exchange of gifts of pickles among near and dear ones is the source of a great joy in the families.

People who can afford to send baskets of mangoes to friends and relatives during the season. Children savor green mangoes falling from the trees as a result of strong winds during a ‘Kalbaishakhi’ or storm in April.

Smaller varieties start ripening from early May and continue through June, while the big variety of Fazli starts ripening in early June and continues through July. The scorching heat of summer seems to be compensated by this unique gift of nature. Children are particularly fond of tasting mango, especially if it is really sweet. A mixture of rice, milk and the mango extract is one of the greatest delicacies enjoyed by all. This usually is taken as a dessert after a holiday lunch when mango is available.

Ripe mango is a good source of Vitamin A and many other nutritional ingredients essential for human body.