Varieties of Malihabad mangoes: what Lucknow's mango belt grows beyond Dasheri
Malihabad, on the outskirts of Lucknow, is often called the mango belt of Uttar Pradesh. Orchards stretch for kilometres along the road, and in June the whole area smells of ripening fruit. In the second part of our special series on mangoes, VoxyTalksy visits Malihabad's orchards to look at the varieties grown here and to talk to farmers about the problems in the mango business.
Dasheri is only the beginning
Our earlier video focused on the Dasheri, the variety Malihabad is most famous for. The Dasheri takes its name from Dasheri village near Kakori, close to Malihabad, and "Malihabadi Dasheri" is now recognised with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. But farmers here grow many more varieties. In this video we look at:
- Chausa — a late-season, very sweet mango that arrives after the Dasheri.
- Langra — a green-skinned variety prized for its aroma, closely associated with Banaras.
- Banarasi — varieties named after the Varanasi region that are also grown in Malihabad's orchards.
- Other local varieties that rarely reach big-city markets.
The mango man of Malihabad
Malihabad is also home to Padma Shri awardee Kalimullah Khan, known as the "Mango Man", who became famous for grafting hundreds of mango varieties onto a single tree. His work has made the town a stop for mango lovers from across India.
What farmers told us
Behind the sweetness there are real worries. Farmers spoke to us about uncertain weather during flowering, pests, the cost of spraying, and the low prices they get from middlemen compared to what buyers pay in cities. Many said better cold storage, processing units and direct access to markets and exports would change their fortunes.
If you buy mangoes in season, ask for the variety by name. You will be surprised how different each one tastes — and you will help farmers who still grow the rarer kinds.
