THE annual mango festival was inaugurated at LuLu Hypermarket in Dana Mall yesterday.
National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) secretary general Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa was chief guest at the event attended by guest of honour Ravi Jain, Second Secretary at the Indian Embassy.
They were greeted by LuLu group director Juzer Rupawala and senior management of LuLu Hypermarket.
The festival continues until June 4 and will feature 88 varieties of mangoes from 18 countries, as well as an array of mango delicacies – from desserts to curries to pickles and smoothies.
The LuLu ‘Kingdom of Mangoes’ is an annual fruity treat for shoppers.
This year, the luscious fruits will fill the aisles from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Thailand, Yemen and Columbia.
Besides mangoes ripe and raw, there will also be promotions galore and treats in the LuLu Hot Food and Cold Food section with items such as traditional aamras and puri, mango fish curry, mango chicken curry, stuffed chicken breast with honey mango sauce, mango pickles and new age foods like mango and flax seed vegan smoothie.
In addition, there are mango-themed games like hopscotch, tic-tac-toe, photobooth and displays, cookery demo by Chef Aala and a fun ‘Mango maze’ to entertain guests.
“The mango is rightly called the King of Fruits and is part of the cultural and culinary heritage of many countries, especially of India,” said Shaikha Maram.
“It is a fruit that we in Bahrain also enjoy wholeheartedly and I am delighted to see so many varieties at the LuLu ‘Kingdom of Mangoes’ festival this year.”
Mr Rupawala said: “I am very pleased to bring our customers the much-loved and cherished LuLu ‘Kingdom of Mangoes’ Festival this year.
“The fruit has captured public imagination as a quintessential dessert food but at LuLu, we are exploring every taste facet of the mango with our big range of preparations that are bound to delight shoppers – what’s more, with its myriad health benefits, the mango is a fruit that we can all indulge in without guilt.
“By showcasing these many varieties of mangoes, LuLu is bringing a world of good taste to Bahrain.”
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