Tiny tender green mangoes available in the Indian grocery stores from February. These are still available but would be slightly larger in size and would have developed a harder coat around its 'stone' /the mango seed.
It was easier for George Washington to access Indian mangoes than hordes of 'yours truly's' from the sub-continent. However, GW got his mangoes pickled not blasted with radiation as it enters the US.
Entering George Washington's Kitchen
We can trace the entry of people from India/sub-continent from the British Colonial time, to the maritime workers who came through the western coast. However... Before the entry of early Punjabi immigrants and ''chicken curries' from the sub-continent into the west coast...
Before the entry of smart, scientific and small groups of Indians working in the exalted 'Sighyyence' field...
Before the wave of ambitious nerses, doctors and such...
Before the wave of plentiful 'keyboard tappers and managers'...
Before the very ambitious Indian American's courting favour with the highest echelons of American power...
Way before the carefully timed visit of US Trade Representative, Susan Schwab in March 2007, riding the machismo of the Harley Davidson to wrangle Alphonso mangoes in return from the Indian Commerce Minister, Kamal Nath...
Long before all this,the humble and zimble UppuManga had achieved the favoured status to travel with an English name, 'pickled mangoes', as an elite cargo to grace George Washington's table. :-)
- We do not know what kind of pickled mango boarded the ship from India
- We do not know what avatar graced one of the important dining spots in the newly independent America.
Historical trade routes and sources of mangoes would point towards the western coastal region of India. The mangoes might have come from anywhere from the coast of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka or Kerala.
