| Mangifera 'Chaunsa' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genus | Mangifera |
| Species | Mangifera indica |
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Chaunsa (Bangla: চৌসা,Bhojpuri: चउसा,Hindi: चौंसा,Urdu: چونسا), also known aschausa, is amango cultivar indigenous toSouth Asia. It is grown mainly inIndia andPakistan; both countries export significant quantities of the fruit.[1][2]
The main centers ofchaunsa cultivation are the states ofBihar &Uttar Pradesh in India andRahim Yar Khan andMultan in Pakistani province ofPunjab.
The Chausa mango, also known as Bahist-e-Samar ("Paradise of fruits"), was first grafted on a large scale byAbdul Hameed Khan Malihabadi ofMalihabad, India. His son, Dr. Sami Khan 'Azad' Malihabadi, later migrated to Pakistan and was instrumental in introducing this mango variety there. The first plantations inPakistan were established in theSindh region.
Thechaunsa variety of mango was made popular by the Indian rulerSher Shah Suri while commemorating his victory overHumayun atChausa, Bihar. Suri ultimately named his favorite mango "chaunsa" to honor his victory.[3][4][1] The mango was also known as the Ghazipuriya mango due to its early large-scale cultivation inGhazipur.[5]
The fruit has a golden-yellow color when it is soft, is almost fiberless, and has an aromatic, pleasant, sweet flavor. Commonly available varieties in Pakistan are greenish-yellow. The unique taste and richness in its flavor makes it a worldwide favorite. Some consider it the best mango in terms of its rich aroma, sweet taste,juicypulp and high nutritional value.[6] Chaunsas have highervitamin C content than other mango cultivars.[7]
Chaunsa season in India and Pakistan normally starts at the beginning of June and ends in the third week of August. It is heavily exported to theMiddle East,Europe, Canada, and most recently to the United States. Prior to its availability in the U.S., some American chaunsa aficionados would travel to Canada in order to legally purchase the mango.[8][9] There are four known types of chaunsa mangoes: Mosami Chaunsa (Summer Bahisht), Kala Chaunsa (Black), Safaid chaunsa (White) and Azeem Chaunsa (Rattewala). White chaunsa is generally considered ideal for exports due to its longer shelf life.
