Mango desserts from around the world, and where to trace them back to

Aamras Puri

A traditional mango delicacy from the western Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, aamras is essentially ripe mango pulp blended with saffron, cardamom or dry ginger, and sometimes a splash of milk. It is included in Gujarati and Maharashtrian wedding feasts during mango season, served chilled alongside hot, puffed pooris. The word derives from the Sanskrit āmra (mango) and rasa (juice) — so it is, at its most literal, mango essence.

Mango Sticky Rice

The tradition of cooking sticky rice in coconut milk dates to the late reign of King Rama II during the early Rattanakosin period. Over time, people began pairing it with different fruits, and it turned out that ripe mango complemented the rice best. Known as Thailand's national dessert, it rose to international prominence in April 2022 when Thai rapper Milli ate a bowl on stage at Coachella, causing a spike in Google searches and a surge in demand for the dish. In Bangkok, find it at any street stall between February and May.

More from Lifestyle

Mango Shrikhand

Shrikhand is one of the oldest desserts in Indian history, with references appearing in ancient Gujarati-Jain literature from the 7th to 14th century AD. Hung curd is strained, then folded with Alphonso or Kesar mango pulp, cardamom and saffron. Both Maharashtra and Gujarat claim it as their own, a territorial dispute best resolved by eating it in both states. It’s a fairly fun problem to solve.

Mango Pomelo Sago (Yang Zhi Gan Lu)

Invented in the 1980s by Hong Kong's famous restaurant Lei Garden, this chilled dessert of mango puree, coconut cream, tapioca pearls and pomelo has since become a staple across China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and beyond. Its Chinese name translates roughly to the divine nectar held by Guanyin, the Buddhist goddess of compassion.

Mango Lassi

Lassi itself has been a staple of Punjab since 1000 BC, though its fruit versions came later. The mango variation is now ubiquitous across India and its diaspora, made by blending ripe mango pulp into salted or sweetened yoghurt, thinned with milk or water. It occupies a useful middle ground between drink and dessert, and is arguably the most forgiving of all mango preparations, easy to make extraordinary with a good Alphonso.

Mango Kulfi

Unlike Western ice cream, kulfi is not churned. It is frozen slowly, which produces a denser, creamier result. Mango kulfi sets the fruit against that richness, usually flavoured with cardamom and pistachios. It has been made in India since the Mughal period, when royal kitchens in Delhi packed ice brought down from the Himalayas into earthen moulds. The kulfi falooda version — kulfi broken over vermicelli, basil seeds and rose syrup, is a street food staple in Mumbai and Lucknow.