MANGO VERT, MANGO TEEN…

On a Sunday morning in early May, I found myself in an empty car park waiting to meet up with the Mother of InSeason Tours Ms Afiya Francis and a horde of other mango lovers. All geared to travel to Mayaro to visit the Nandoo Mango Estate.

The air was thick with anticipation. But mostly it was thick with sunscreen and citronella as we boarded a good ole red band maxi.

Highway stretched into winding back roads and eventually into coconut trees until we swung a right and ventured into an expanse of agricultural lots. Houses dotted along the way spread out like taxis after 8 p.m.

It was so surreal. The image I always conjured of Mayaro was of the beach, never farmland. It really is quite lush. Gently rolling fields as far as the eye can see.

Our feet were happy to find solid ground once more. The scent of fresh earth and rain hit our noses, accompanied by that of a bubbling pot — mango anchar.

After the customary greetings and salutations, Lonella Nandoo brought us to the source of the aroma, her father Kissoondial, was stirring a pot underneath their shed. He proudly showed us the fruits of his culinary labour earlier that morning; announcing that curry would be on the menu later on.

While we waited for him to finish up and for the light rain to subside, we took in the vibrant piles of mangoes and bottled anchar and kuchela for sale.

Raincoats acquired, we set out into four heavenly acres of mango plants, home to over 250 mango trees of numerous varieties.

♪ Mango vert, mango teen, mango Doodouce, Calabash, Zapico all for me. ♪

Well, not quite.

They have Long, Starch, Julie, Rose, Primrose, Doodouce, Box and Spice, Number 11, Mayaro Girl and the beloved “Stinky”- let’s just say it’s an acquired taste.

Mr Nandoo fondly recalled all the “Long” mango plants he purchased between 2008 and 2010. When they started to bear fruit, he realized that he had several varieties on his hands.

Then it became an episode of Maury. Guess the stock.

We were told you could tell the paternity of mangoes by the look of their leaves.

As we wandered the maze-like rows of mango trees, we noticed that the Nandoos are a big fan of intercropping. Robust okra pods fanning out along the path.

Like the Garden of Eden, it has every fruit, root and vegetable imaginable. Your very own backyard grocery. The common and the peculiar. On their estate, you can find mandarin limes, with their alluring orange exterior and surprise sour interior.

Sad to think this paradise was under water for more than two weeks after the dreadful floods of 2018.

After we retired from the field, it was time for lunch. It was delicious. Nothing better than some buttery buss up shut, creamy pumpkin, curry channa and chicken, with a side of mashed ground provisions and homemade mango anchar.

While we could have easily stopped there and walked away cradling our food babies, there was a mango tasting to be done.

Now you see, I have a long-term love affair with Julie. She satisfies me. Ain’t nobody got time for a side piece. Too many strings attached.

However, I ate of the forbidden fruit and was exposed to the joys of a more promiscuous appetite.

Number 11 and Primrose gave Julie a good run for her money.

Unfortunately, they were out of season so we couldn’t purchase any for the road.

See why you must not have a wandering eye when you have a good thing going at home.

Well technically not at home, in my neighbour’s yard, but close enough.

We steal forbidden kisses over the fence.

I catch her when she falls.

All jokes aside, I had a lovely time with the Nandoos. They are incredibly hard-working and down to earth.

Besides being farmers, the Nandoos are also entrepreneurs. They sell packaged frozen Long mango to nearby groceries. At present they are trying to ramp-up production and have recently built a small factory and purchased an industrial freezer. The thing is literally the size of a truck.

The whole operation is a big family affair, ma, pa and their baby girl. They spend several days a week toting hundreds of mangoes from the fields to their production facility. Lonella is integral to the family business. Their productivity is almost doubled when she can give her time away from school.

She is the first in her family to attend university and is pursuing her bachelors in Food Science and Technology. She says she chose the mango life, but the mango life did not choose her, alluding to the hard work, heartbreak and physical pain associated with the path. (She gets burnt by the sap regularly).

Like their drought resistant, beloved mango trees, the Nandoos are incredibly resilient and committed to nurturing their crops and business. Living simply and in harmony with nature. They set an excellent example to follow and alert us to the infinite number of possibilities for sustainably developing our natural resources.

Particularly in an economic climate, where the petrochemical industry is under stress, and we are in great need of economic diversification.

Twas a day well spent.

We left blissfully tired. Our shopping bags weighed down by fresh mangoes, frozen mango, anchar and kuchela.

On the long and bumpy ride back home, I sat with Afiya and listened to her story.