Khasi Mandarin

This is one of the lands where the ancestors of all the world’s citrus fruits originated. One of these is the Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata): a little larger than a tennis ball, bright orange in color, hard to peel and with sweet, aromatic juice.

Cultivated only in the state of Meghalaya, the trees grow on the steep but not yet mountainous slopes that run along the border between India and Bangladesh. The best fruits come from the south, where the indigenous War and War-Jaintia populations live, thanks to the chalky soil and very hot climate. The villages are at the bottom of steep valleys. To reach them requires walking down between five and ten thousand stone steps, before climbing back up with baskets full of mandarins tied on the back. On each journey, the villagers carry loads of 90 to 100 kilos.

The fruits start to ripen in September, around the time the temperature starts to fall. The growers make long, difficult journeys on foot to bring them to the market stalls of nearby villages: Mawphu, Tmar, Pyndengmawlieh, Nongnah.