Doha: Lulu Hypermarket Group, as part of its promotion calendar, has again set the stage for Mango Festival under the title ‘Mango Mania’ from May 11 for a week.
The festival was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Sanjiv Arora, at Lulu Hypermarket, Al Gharrafa, in the presence of dignitaries and senior executives from the retail industry and other walks of life.
Lulu outlets have made it convenient for the connoisseurs of this exotic fruit to taste the versatility and buy the best taste that suits their palate. The festival aims to promote India’s agricultural produce in the local community and in the Middle East.
The festival is showcasing a wide variety of over 60 popular and delicious mangoes from India, Yemen, Malaysia, Kenya, Thailand, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brazil, the US, Mexico, Sudan, Ghana and Burkina Faso; organic mangoes of historical importance and mango-based products.
Mangoes are seasonal fruits; fresh mango fruit season begins in May when the rich fragrance of the fruit heralds its arrival and is usually harvested while green but perfectly mature.
Mango is the national fruit of many countries — India, Pakistan and the Philippines, and the mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh. In Australia, where mangoes are considered a symbol of summer, the first tray of mangoes of the season is traditionally sold at an auction for charity.
The fruit is rich in pre-biotic dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds. According to new research study, mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes and potassium is good to protect body from lung and oral cavity cancers. Fresh mango is a very rich source of potassium.
In India and around the world, mango fruit is revered as a royal heritage. Out of the 41 species known to exist around the world; over 1,000 varieties are available in India. Among these, over 21 are of commercial importance. The raw fruit is used for preparing pickles, chutneys and fruit drinks.
The drink prepared from the unripe green fruit is as delicious as those prepared from ripe mangoes and is frequently consumed as an antidote to excessive heat. Both unripe and ripe, the fruit is synonymous with nutritional value.
Fresh stocks of mangoes from 17 countries have been imported for the festival. Leading varieties are on sale at all Lulu Hypermarket outlets at highly modest prices.
The Peninsula
