English
বাংলা
The story
Chapainawabganj, on the Indian border west of Rajshahi, is often called the mango capital of Bangladesh, and Khirsapat is the variety it is proudest of. The district was once the southern part of old Malda, a region that has grown fine mangoes for centuries. Local accounts trace organised Khirsapat orchards back roughly two hundred years, to a garden laid out at Kansat by a zamindar family from Mymensingh. Today most of the crop comes from Shibganj, Bholahat and Gomastapur upazilas, and Kansat bazar in Shibganj is the biggest mango market in the country during the season.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute applied on behalf of the growers in 2017, and the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks handed over the GI certificate on 27 January 2019. That made Khirsapat the third Bangladeshi GI product and the second farm product to be protected, and it opened the door for the district's Langra, Ashwina and Fazli to follow. West Bengal registered its own GI for the same family of mango, a case of two neighbours protecting a fruit that grew on both sides of a border drawn in 1947.
Many buyers use the names Khirsapat and Himsagar interchangeably, and traders often do too. Some horticulturists treat them as one variety under two names; others describe small differences in shape and colour. Meherpur's Himsagar has its own separate GI, so on Midmart they have separate guide pages.
How to spot the real Khirsapat mango of Chapainawabganj
A ripe Khirsapat is medium-sized, usually around 250 to 300 grams, plump and slightly oblong, with a thick, firm stalk. The skin is smooth with fine dots; as it ripens the upper part near the stalk turns a soft yellow while the lower half often stays pale green. Cut it open and the flesh should be deep yellow, completely fibreless, very juicy and sweet with a clear aroma. The seed is thin compared with the fruit. A mango that looks evenly bright yellow all over but has hard, sour flesh near the stone was probably picked too early and forced to colour. Smell the stalk end: a naturally ripe Khirsapat gives off a sweet scent there before it is fully soft.
Buying tips
Timing is the best protection against immature fruit. Rajshahi district publishes a harvest calendar each year, and in recent seasons Khirsapat and Himsagar have been allowed from about 30 May; Chapainawabganj sometimes sets its own dates or none at all, so check that year's news before ordering. Mangoes advertised as Khirsapat in early May are almost certainly something else or picked green. Price depends on the week of the season, fruit size, whether it is sorted and packed in crates or cartons, and the distance it travels.
Each shop on Midmart sells and ships on its own and sets its own delivery charge, so mangoes from two sellers mean two parcels and two charges. Midmart does not take payment or deliver anything: you agree the price, payment method and courier with the seller directly. Before you confirm, ask the seller which upazila the orchard is in, on which date the batch was picked, how the fruit is packed and how many days the courier will take. A seller who answers clearly is a better bet than a listing that only says "GI mango".
Keeping it fresh
Unpack mangoes as soon as they arrive, spread them in a single layer on newspaper or a basket in a cool, airy room and let them finish ripening for two to four days. Do not keep them in the plastic bag or sealed box they travelled in. Once a mango is soft and fragrant, eat it within a day or move it to the fridge, where it keeps for a few more days; chill it whole and cut it just before serving. Khirsapat pulp freezes well for milkshakes and desserts.
Find Khirsapat mango of Chapainawabganj on Midmart
Search Midmart for “khirsapat mango”
Shops from where it is made
No shop from Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi is on Midmart yet.
Every shop on Midmart collects payment its own way and arranges its own delivery — Midmart never handles your money or your parcel. Delivery is charged per shop: order from three shops and you pay three delivery charges.
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