Mangoes&Memories Vol 2: The Great Secret WhatsApp Mango Trade - a podcast by Ahmed Ali Akbar

Mangoes are one of the world’s most treasured fruit, but for Indian and Pakistani immigrants, it’s nearly impossible to get the beloved Alphonso and Chaunsa varietals in America. In this episode, we explore why some people are willing to pay nearly $9 a pop for a taste of home. We talk to food writer Myles Karp about the complications Indian mangos have faced entering the US, from political bans to regulation to the plain old ravages of time and rot. Then, Ahmed calls up his cousin Medeeha who spent her summer in New Jersey as the middle woman for an international mango trade organized on WhatsApp. Plus: listeners and friends of the show share their relationship to the fruit.

Read Myles' works on mangoes here: https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/gyw4zb/alphonso-best-mangoes-india-us
Follow Ahmed @radbrowndads
Follow the show on Twitter (@seesomething), Facebook (facebook.com/seesomethingpodcast), and Instagram (instagram.com/buzzfeedseesomething).
Email us at saysomething@buzzfeed.com
Our music is by The Kominas, follow them @TheRealKominas and kominas.bandcamp.com.

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