The Ugly Truth of Artificially Ripened Mangoes
Have you already got a WhatsApp forward screaming, “The Alphonso has arrived”? We are at the beginning of March and the mango season doesn’t commence until the summer peaks — that’s the end of April. So how are vendors selling the much-awaited fruit already? And should you be the early bird gorging on these mangoes?
While it’s tempting to get your hands on the “first” fruit of the season, the hype isn’t worth it. If you haven’t noticed, this early arrival of mangoes is a fairly recent phenomenon, something that has peaked in the past decade or so. No, the Alphonso season hasn’t changed; it’s just that farmers and vendors are both applying shortcuts. So what’s being sold in the market in these early months is not the real deal, far from it.
Mangoes, which make it to the markets as early as February end-early March, are more often than not artificially ripened. What does this mean and what’s the harm in it? To fasten the ripening process, chemicals are used. What’s most commonly used is calcium carbide, which contains arsenic and phosphorus. When calcium carbide comes in contact with moisture it produces acetylene gas. This works similar to the natural ethylene gas, which is used in the process of naturally ripening the fruit.
If the function of both are the same why is there such a hullabaloo around calcium carbide? That’s because the chemical is a carcinogen, which means it can turn regular cells into cancer cells. This is one of the leading reasons it has been banned by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Calcium carbide can also affect the neurological system and lead to a plethora of health problems such as dizziness, insomnia, skin allergies, to mention a few. Artificial ripening can be truly hazardous and it’s not worth the trouble.
So how do you pick the real mangoes from the artificially ripened ones? Firstly, don’t fall for anything that arrives too early. You might have to wait a month or more longer to get your hands on the best Alphonso of the season but that wait is worth it.
Put your eyes and nose to good use. The Alphonso is as much about the aroma as the taste. Both of these are lacking in mangoes that are ripened using chemicals. Mangoes that are uniform in color — if they are the perfect yellow — they are unlikely to be au naturel. The artificially ripened fruit will invariably fail the taste test. They are bland, to begin with, they are dry and will have no juice. What’s even the point of such a mango?
Here’s another pro-tip. If you put the mangoes in a bucket of water, and they sink, they are a good lot. If they don’t, that’s a sure sign that your Alphonso has been messed with. Also, if you are buying a crate from an unknown vendor, check it thoroughly. If you come across a hidden pouch with a powder that looks like cement, in all likelihood it’s the toxic calcium carbide.
Is there a way to cleanse your artificially ripened mango? Not really. Washing it under a tap is not going to be of little help. And why put up with all the drama, when at the end of the day, you are going to be eating a mango that’s not half as tasty.
Well, then there’s just one way to get this right. Make sure you Alphonso is organic
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