Dried Mango Slices

Real dried mango from desi fruit is not the uniform orange sheet you see in imported candy style packs. It varies: deep gold to amber, with visible fibre strands in the flesh, because varieties like Chaunsa and Anwar Ratol are fibrous fruit and honest slices show it. The slices should bend, smell unmistakably of mango when the pack opens, and taste sweet first with a little tartness at the end. Slices stuck together in the pack are normal; the natural sugars make them cling, and they peel apart easily. Sugar honesty applies here as everywhere on this shelf: this is concentrated fruit, roughly three to four slices is a serving, and a kilo is a household supply, not a single sitting.

Mostly, eaten straight, standing in front of the open cupboard. Beyond that: chopped into trail mixes and gift bowls, where mango is always the piece that disappears first; cut small over ice cream, custard and kheer; baked into muffins and tea cakes; and blended into winter smoothies and milkshakes when fresh mango is months away and the children are asking. For mango lovers living abroad, this is also the pack that gets carried in suitcases, because it travels without leaking, bruising or breaking any rules a fresh fruit would.

Keep the slices airtight and away from heat. They firm up in the fridge, so take out what you need a little before eating, or store them in a cool cupboard instead and save the fridge for high summer. Properly kept, a pack stays good for months, though in most houses the honest limit is how fast it gets eaten. The rest of the shelf is in our dried items collection, with every rate in one place in the dry fruits price list.

What is the dried mango price in Pakistan? At WD Foods, Rs 2,500 for 1kg, Rs 1,250 for 500g and Rs 625 for 250g. Several well known stores charge Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 a kilo.

Why do the slices look different from imported dried mango? Imported packs often come from smooth, fibreless varieties and are cut to a standard sheet. Desi mangoes are fibrous, so the slices show strands and vary in shade. That is the fruit, not a flaw.

How many slices should I eat at a time? Three to four slices is a sensible serving. Drying concentrates the mango's sugar, so a little carries the full flavour.

WD Foods is the online store of Wahid Nimco, working from Quetta since 1990. We deliver across Pakistan in 3 to 5 business days. If you are in Quetta, the Masjid Road shop is open every day from 9 AM to 10 PM.