Ashwina mango of Chapainawabganj

The story

By the middle of July the famous early mangoes of the Rajshahi belt are over. Khirsapat and Langra have gone, and Fazli is thinning out. That is when Ashwina takes over the orchards of Chapainawabganj, especially around Shibganj and Gomastapur, and it can keep the Kansat market busy for weeks after other districts have finished. The name is usually linked to Ashwin, the Bangla month that begins in mid-September, a reminder of how late the fruit can hang on the tree.

Ashwina is an old variety. Researchers have described it being grown commercially in Chapainawabganj and nearby districts for well over a century, and some very old trees in the area support that. It was valuable enough to be used as a parent when the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute bred BARI Aam-4, released in the 1990s from a cross between Ashwina and a Florida line. The institute applied for a GI for Ashwina along with Langra, and the patent office issued both certificates on 25 June 2023.

In recent years some growers have grafted newer varieties such as Katimon and BARI Aam-4 onto Ashwina trees because the old variety sells for less. Others bag the fruit on the tree to protect it and push the harvest later, so the season for Ashwina now stretches further than it used to.

How to spot the real Ashwina mango of Chapainawabganj

Ashwina is a large mango, often half a kilogram or more, with an elongated oval shape and thick skin. The skin often stays largely green even when the fruit is mature, so do not rely on colour; check the date, the smell at the stalk end and a slight give under the thumb. The flesh is yellow, firm and juicy. Fruit picked too early tastes noticeably sour, while properly mature Ashwina from late in the season is sweet with only a light tang. If someone offers Ashwina in May or June, it is either another variety or picked long before its time, because the official harvest window in the Rajshahi region does not open until around 10 July.

Buying tips

For the sweetest fruit, buy from late July onward rather than in the first days after the harvest date. Ashwina is often cheaper than early varieties, which makes it popular for juice, pickles and amshotto as well as eating fresh. Price depends on fruit size, the point in the season, whether the fruit was bagged on the tree, packing and courier distance.

Midmart is a marketplace, not a shop, so each seller on it fixes their own delivery charge, and a second seller in your order means a second parcel and charge. Payment and shipping are arranged between you and the seller; Midmart never holds the money or the fruit. Ask the seller which upazila the trees are in, when the batch was picked, whether it was bagged and how it will be packed, and how long the courier needs to reach you. If you want to compare it with Fazli, a seller who stocks both can send them together.

Keeping it fresh

Ashwina's thick skin makes it one of the better keepers among local mangoes. Unpack it, lay it out in a single layer in a cool, shaded room and give it a few days to soften and develop its scent. Move ripe fruit to the fridge and eat it within a few days. Sour, underripe Ashwina is not wasted: it is well suited to chutney, pickle or a tangy summer drink.

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