nosh nook #49 - thursday, may 21, 2009

in mumbai, it’s mango season (link)
05.20.09 - the ny times - by kavitha rao

after the recent success of the oscar-winning film slumdog millionaire, the indian city of mumbai, with its copious slums, has become sort of a household name. since folks just love seeing the places where their favorite films are shot, mumbai's guided "slum tours" have experienced increased interest. unless you're on some sort of humanitarian mission, there's something very unsettling about taking a trip through a city's slums to gawk at the horrid conditions. if you're going to mumbai, it should be for the tasty mangoes...not for the slums.

ny times correspondent kavitha rao knows a thing or two about mumbai's mangoes. according to her "globespotters" report, it's currently mango season in mumbai (til the end of june) & while you could go pick up some mangoes, bring them home & make something delicious out of them (i suggest mango sushi), it's much cooler if you have somebody else make them into something awesome for you. there are the standard mango drinks--the familiar lassi (a milkshake of sorts), the green mango-based aam panna--but you can also find a wide variety of yummy desserts in mumbai.

since i'm not that big of a fan of pudding, i'd probably pass on the mango shrikhand. of all the treats rao describes, i'd probably have to go with the kulfi (a milkier ice cream) topped with mango slices.  it's not that i wouldn't enjoy mango & chocolate donuts or a big ol slice of mango cheesecake (from a place that madonna likes!).  it's more that you can get the kulfi with mango slices delivered.  i'm amazed that it's even possible to deliver ice cream (even slow-melting kulfi) in mumbai's scorching temperatures & there's something pretty awesome about the idea of hearing a knock at your front door & when you open said door...BAM!  ice cream.  i can only imagine the utter joy that such a delivery service must bring to the people of mumbai.