Not so aam! What you need to know about Miyazaki, the world’s costliest mango

Industrialist Harsh Goenka recently posted pictures of an orchard of a purple-hued mango breed that is protected by three security guards and six fearsome dogs. But, why would anyone employ heavy security for mangoes? According to Goenka, the mango variety, Miyazaki, is said to be the world's costliest mango, sold at a whopping Rs 2.7 lakh per kg. The world’s costliest Miyazaki mangoOriginally cultivated in Japan’s Miyazaki city, the most expensive mango variety has found its way to Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and the Philippines these days. It is a type of Irwin mango that is unlike the yellow pelican mango grown in Southeast Asia.According to NewsByte, the mango is also called the Taiyo-no-Tamago, "Egg of the Sun", because of its intense color and egg shape.These mangoes are usually grown during the peak harvest between April and August. Turning from purple to flaming red when ripe, a single Miyazaki mango can weigh around 350 grams and is sold at Rs 2.70 lakh per kilogram in the international market. One mango can even grow up to 900 grams in weight.Why is it so expensive?Miyazaki mangoes have a 15 per cent or higher sugar content than normal mangoes and usually require warm weather, abundant rainfall, and prolonged sunlight for proper growth. Loaded with antioxidants, folic acid, and beta carotene, these mangoes are beneficial for vision improvement. Miyazaki mangoes are non-fibrous and have delicate flesh.Apart from being full of health benefits, the Miyazaki mangoes are highly priced because of the hard work involved in cultivating them. As per NewsByte, Japanese farmers wrap each of the mangoes in a small net so that sunlight gets distributed evenly and gives them a uniform ruby-red color. This premium quality fruit is then allowed to fall from the tree when ripe and the net acts as a protective cushion.The story of Miyazaki mango reaching Madhya PradeshAccording to News18, Sankalp Singh Parihar, the MP farmer in Goenka’s tweet, received the Miyazaki sapling from a stranger during a train journey to Chennai five years ago. Parihar had gone to Chennai looking for hybrid coconut seeds.During the train journey, a passenger seated opposite him offered to sell him a mango sapling for Rs 2500.While Parihar was unsure, he took the chance and decided to buy it and named it Damini, after his mother. When he planted the sapling after returning to Jabalpur, it initially grew like any other ordinary mango plant, but a few months later, it developed a beautiful red colour.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.