Some like it pulpy, some smooth, while some prefer to use hapus or payri, and others, wild mangoes. There are debates galore on which mango yields the best pulp, but the bottomline is, we all love a chilled vati of aamras — the sweet, juicy celebration of the king of fruits. With the season of mangoes upon us, a few home chefs and foodies spill the beans on their go-to variety to whip up a not-so-aam-ras.

Vocal for local

Dhani Goregaonkar, who runs the farm-to-fork catering service Paisley Experience along with her mother Naina, stresses on the need to use mangoes that are sourced locally, as they are fresher. “We procure kesar mangoes from an organic mango farmer in Alibaug, which we use to make aamras for our guests,” shares Goregaonkar. Naina, meanwhile, instructs that the first thing to keep in mind while picking mangoes for aamras is the texture of the mango. It should be slightly wrinkled and not smooth; a bit dull, not glossy and shouldn’t be firm to touch.