Sindhri vs Chaunsa
The two most confused Pakistani mangoes, compared on taste, texture, season, keeping quality and price, with a verdict for each use.
The short answer
Sindhri is large, long and tapering, honey sweet, and firm enough to slice. Chaunsa is rounder, softer, sweeter and far more strongly scented. Sindhri comes first in the season, Chaunsa runs latest.
If you are serving guests, Sindhri. If you want the sweetest thing you will eat all summer and you do not mind the mess, Chaunsa.
| Sindhri | Chaunsa | |
|---|---|---|
| Urdu | سندھڑی | چونسہ |
| Shape | Long, oval, tapering | Rounder, plump, full |
| Skin when ripe | Smooth, even golden, no blush | Golden with a light blush |
| Size | Large | Medium to large |
| Texture | Tender, fibreless, firm-set | Very soft, juicy, fibreless |
| Sweetness | Honey sweet, with acidity underneath | Intensely sweet |
| Aroma | Fine and floral | Strong and heady |
| Stone | Small and thin | Medium |
| Season | Mid May to late June | June to August |
| Holds its shape when cut | Yes | Not really |
| Price, 5 KG box | Rs. 3,599 | Ask us |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Taste
Chaunsa is sweeter, and not by a small margin. It is the one that tastes like concentrated sugar and perfume, and for a lot of people that is exactly the point of a mango.
Sindhri is sweet too, but there is acidity underneath holding it up, so it reads as more balanced. It is the one you can eat two of. Chaunsa, most people stop at one.
Texture
This is the practical difference and the one that should decide your order.
A ripe Chaunsa is very soft. The usual way to eat one is to roll it between your palms until the inside is pulp, break the tip and squeeze it straight into your mouth. It is excellent and it is messy.
A ripe Sindhri stays firm enough to cut into cheeks, score into a grid and push inside out. It holds together on a plate. That is why it is the one that goes out when people are entertaining.
Season
Sindhri is first, from the middle of May into late June, about six weeks. Chaunsa starts in June and runs into August, so it has the longer window by a wide margin and it is what is still available late in the summer.
If it is August and someone is selling you Sindhri, ask questions.
Keeping quality
Sindhri is the more forgiving of the two once ripe, because it is firmer to begin with. Chaunsa goes from ready to over quickly and bruises if stacked.
Neither should go in the fridge before it is ripe. Cold stops the ripening and it does not restart properly, which produces fruit that softens without ever developing sugar or smell. See ripening and storing.
The verdict, by use
Serving to guests: Sindhri. It slices cleanly and looks like something.
Eating alone over a sink: Chaunsa, without question.
Mango shakes: Chaunsa, because the sweetness carries through milk.
Gifting: Sindhri, if the recipient is in Pakistan and it is May or June. Chaunsa later in the summer.
A first try at Pakistani mangoes: Sindhri. It is the less polarising of the two.
Export: depends on the route and the transit time. Ask us for the market you are buying for.
Questions we get asked
Which is sweeter, Sindhri or Chaunsa?
Chaunsa, clearly. Sindhri is honey sweet but has an acidity underneath that balances it.
Which comes first in the season?
Sindhri, from the middle of May. Chaunsa starts in June and runs to August.
Are both fibreless?
Yes. Sindhri is the firmer of the two, which is why it slices more cleanly.
How do I tell them apart by looking?
Shape and blush. Sindhri is long and tapering with even golden skin and no blush. Chaunsa is rounder and plumper and usually carries a light blush.
Which is better for a mango shake?
Chaunsa. Its sweetness carries through milk, where Sindhri gets flattened.
Which is more expensive?
Our Sindhri box is Rs. 3,599 for 5 KG. We do not currently list a Chaunsa box, so ask us if you want one.