Mangoes are a beautiful summer fruit that brightens up our lives. We have been consuming mangoes for over 6,000 years, originating from northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar and Bangladesh and later spreading to the rest of Asia. They later spread to South America, the Philippines, and West Africa and are now cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas.

Among all the countries in the world, India is the world’s leading mango producer, with myriad varieties accounting for an average annual production of 13 million tons, 40 percent of the world’s total last year. The mango industry supports thousands of farming families there and the fruit is held in great respect, playing a central role in some ceremonies and trade fairs. In various cultures, its fruits and leaves are ritually used as floral decoration at weddings, public celebrations, and religious ceremonies.

Of all the other mango varieties, Alphonso & Dasheri mangoes are very popular. They are so popular that they are even booked in advance online, long before they are ripe. These mangoes are in high demand due to their rich sweet flavor and succulent flesh. If you keep an Alphonso or Dasheri mango in your fridge the aroma will fill your home for days. Whichever variety you choose, this vitamin-rich fruit offers enormous versatility when it comes to eating and cooking, enhancing both sweet and savory dishes.

The mango season usually starts in early April and ends in early June. Although they are mainly grown in India, they are eagerly awaited not only by Indians, but also by consumers in countries like the US, UK, UAE, etc. Rare mangoes such as Ratnagiri Alphonso & Dasheri mangoes certainly represent a lucrative business for mango growers. But these handles are virtually impossible to find, as limited supplies make them too expensive.

Some of the best-known online fruit portals come to your rescue, facilitating home delivery of such rare varieties of mangoes to remote parts of the world. Thanks to these e-commerce portals, consumers can now buy fresh mangoes directly from the orchard, on-site or by ordering over the phone, as soon as their season begins. Most of these portals also have a live chat service that responds very quickly. To walk with the digital world, most of these e-commerce sites accept credit cards, debit cards and provide net banking and even cash on delivery services.

Taking advantage of this latest boom in e-commerce, even farmers are not far behind in taking full advantage of the Internet these days to market their agricultural products. Previously, farmers had no choice but to wait for vendors to show interest and buy their produce or go to a nearby market to sell it for whatever price they could get, but as the e-commerce industry is flourishing, farmers are discovering new opportunities and growth paths.

Furthermore, these online stores on the rise are also becoming all the rage among online shoppers who have less time due to their hectic work or shopping schedule. In order to stay competitive in the increasingly demanding online fruit sales portals, they leave no stone unturned and seek to evoke ideas that differentiate them from a real physical store and earn them a unique place in the market.

However, you must know some important tips to guide you while shopping for any kind of mangoes online.

Always buy from a trusted website/seller:

There are many websites that sell fruit online, but how do you know which one is the right one? You will need to look at things like safe shopping, return policies, shipping methods, and customer service availability to determine if a site is trustworthy or not. Make sure you have done some research. Doing a little research can help you make sure you’re getting the right vendor, the variety, and the quality you expect.

Check your shipping company:

Be sure to check the shipping and handling of them. Make sure they have ties to a reputable shipping company that they are tied to.

PS: If you are going to buy mangoes online, make sure they are returnable. It is important that these online portals have policies, that you can return your products in case you don’t like the quality.

Other helpful tips for mango selection and storage:

– Smell before you buy. Check that they have a pleasant fruity aroma.

– Check that there are no bruises.

– Let them mature at room temperature, not in the fridge.

– Store them in a brown paper bag and out of the sun until the fruit ripens.

– They are ripe when the skin is full of color.

– Once ripe, they can be stored in the fridge or even in the freezer.

Some other curiosities about the mango:

– The scientific name of the mango is Mangifera indica.

– Mango trees can live more than 300 years.

– Indian government officials have proposed patenting the Dasheri mango.