Yummy Mangoes!

When I was a kid, I used to wait for summers only for two reasons – Long Summer Vacation and Yummy Juicy Mangoes.

Mango, King of Fruits and National fruit of India, is known for its luscious taste.

Apart from their delicious taste, mangoes are also known for their cultural values and importance. Mango leaves are used to decorate doors in Indian houses during festivals. Dried Mango skins are used to produce Ayurvedic medicines.

Mango is also known for its usage in countless number of cuisines. Sour and unripe mangoes are used in Pickles. Mango pulp is used for making jellies and jams. Dried and powdered unripe mango is used for moramba, amchur. Liquid form of mango, example - Aam panna, Aamras, Mango Lassi etc., is also equally famous for its taste and nutritional values.

India is home to more than 500 varieties of Mangoes. Let’s learn about a few famous sub-categories, where to get and how to use them.

Alphonso Mango

• One of the most expensive, yet beloved, variety of Mango in India and abroad.
• This variety grows in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.
• Used mainly for pulping and canning.
• Its firm yet fibreless pulp ensures a smooth creamy taste while still maintaining its integrity when cut.

Chaunsa Mango

• Its name was given by Sher Shah Suri, as this was his favourite, it’s hailed as “The King of Mangoes.”
• This variety grows in North India, starting from early June through the end of August.

Dasheri Mango

• Dashehari mangoes are one of the “Mother” mango varieties in the country.
• Mainly cultivated in Northern India. Lucknavi (Lucknow based) Dashehari is famous across the globe.
• Fruits are medium sized, with pleasant flavour, sweet, firm and fibreless pulp.

Banganapalli Mango

• This mango is Andhra Pradesh’s prime variety. Also available in Tamil Nadu.
• Mainly used for canning.
• Its fruits are large sized, weighing on an average 350-400 g, with fibreless pulp.

Langda Mango

• Langda mangoes are primarily native of Varanasi, UP.
• The fruit is green on the outside, which might give you the impression that it’s not ripe. But you can’t be more wrong.
• It has a short season, lasting from mid to the end of July.
• It has a very distinctive taste and not over sweet.

Himsagar Mango

• This variety grows in West Bengal and Orissa.
• Himsagars come to season from mid-June until the end of the month.
• It’s a thin-skinned cultivar with smooth, silky flesh.

Kesar Mango

• It comes from Gujrat.
• Yellow with a tinge of green on the outside, Kesar mango is famous for its subtle taste.
• Ideal for pulping and juice concentrates.

Neelam Mango

• South India, Hyderabad in particular, is famous for this variety.
• Neelams come to the markets in May and last until the end of June.
• Fruits are medium sized with soft, yellow and fibreless flesh.

Totapuri Mango

• Its small green appearance and beak at the end of the fruit resembles a parrot, hence its name.
• It’s acceptable to eat the skin of this variety.
• This variety is a bit crunchy and tangy, best served with salt and chili powder.

Mallika Mango

• Hybrid of the Neelam and Dasheri mangoes.
• Its orange pulp is of excellent quality thanks to its pleasant honey sweetness.
• Proud winner of the Fairchild Tropical Garden Best of Show award for taste.
• Mallika’s season lasts from June to July.

If I talk numbers, India is the largest producer of Mangoes with almost 36% of the world’s production. But let’s not let numbers spoil the divine taste.

Personally, I am yet to find a person who doesn’t like mangoes. Even though high in calories, mangoes are worth your craving.

Come on friend, Go and Grab one now!!! Happy Eating. 

Procurement Manager - Key Challenges

We all have visited a hotel or a restaurant at least once in our lifetime. A good eating joint or a good place to stay is like a gateway to new 'wow' life. It can refresh our senses like no other thing.

First thing that comes to my mind when I think of a hotel is all the grandeur, and spic and span.

But wait a minute..!!!

How did all this come at one single place in just the right proportion.

Look at that carpet handcrafted from Kashmir, or that chandelier, as if hanging right from heaven, or at that special Italian marble adorning the floor. Splendid, isn't it?

Hospitality is the best a country has to offer to its guest. And India has seriously done a great job in pampering her guests. After all, our traditions teach us Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is God).

India is like a growing child, and is strongly making her demands. As per stats, Indian food service industry alone will reach US$ 78 billion by 2018.

A major portion of this food services demand is made by hospitality industry. And its duty of the procurement manager to meet them.

Procurement Manager is like a silent guardian, caped crusader (you know where these lines are coming from! Huge Batman Fan I am) whose job is to make sure, behind the scene right strings are pulled to get best possible product for his/her hotel.

One single decision of a procurement manager has the potential of making or breaking reputation of a hotel.

Procurement in a nutshell means: Sourcing Right Thing at The Right Time for The Right People.

Procurement guys have to face number of challenges to deliver quality services to the customers.

Lets look at some of these challenges:

• Knowing all major suppliers Pan India, inside out. This may include their strengths, weaknesses, behavior ... everything.
• Procurement manager can’t always wait for different departments to come up with their exact requirements. They need to stay ahead of the curve by keeping track of consumption rate and past purchase cycle.
• Procurement largely involves people management skills. If a supplier counts you among his friends, it’s quite likely he will cut out a deal specially for you.
• Many of the suppliers in India run business in a traditional family centric environment. Its responsibility of procurement manager to understand dynamics of all suppliers involved
• Managers need to approach the potential vendors in the market and guide them in order to get the desired qualities of goods from them.
• Getting delivery of goods on time and balancing the demand and supply curve during the peak period is also one among the major challenge faced by the procurement managers. Procurement manager needs to forecast demand well in advance to meet them in peak hours.
• In spite of being in a contract with suppliers,  managers have to keep a close watch on all the last minute requirements in order to avoid stock out situations.
• A good manager needs to be well versed in all upcoming technologies in his / her line of work.

Congratulations for overcoming all the challenges and giving us an experience we can cherish.

Keep up the Good Work! All the Best.