Mango is an exceptional and sacred fruit to Southeast Asia symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Among the various types of mango, Sabai-Arom has travelled to source the unique Mahachanok mango from its original home— Tiew Tong garden located in Lamphun province, northern part of Thailand for our Mango Orchard collection. We spent days learning about this extraordinary mango from the local farmers and were captured by its story and the distinct characteristics.
Mahachanok mango was first introduced to the market in 1990 by Uncle Dej Tiew Tong, a local Thai farmer from Tiew Tong garden whose life was dedicated to sustainability. It is a hybrid between the Thai’s Nang Klang Wan and American’s Sunset mangoes, which can only be harvested once a year from April to May making it a very special seasonal ingredient. Inspiringly, Uncle Dej named the fruit after His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s literary translation of Mahajanaka, a book that represents the values of intellect, awareness and sustainability. The distinct characteristics of Mahachanok also lie in its multi-colored skin, which is green on one side and peachy orange on the other where it faces west to the sunset as well as the outstanding fragrant and juicy nectar.
Today, the much loved Mahachanok mango is grown across Thailand and has become a valuable export bringing sustainable income to many local communities.