Totapuris, for me though, lives in that sweet spot between raw and ripe — where the sourness still holds its ground, but there’s just enough sugar peeking through to make things interesting. If you’ve picked it up from the market while it’s still firm and green, give it a few days on the counter. Three to four days is usually enough for it to shift gears – softening just a little, the skin going slightly yellow at the edges.

Not too raw, not too ripe. Just that perfect middle stage where the fruit starts to speak in layers. It’s not here to melt in your mouth or charm you with syrupy sweetness. It’s here to wake you up. The first bite hits you with that unmistakable tang – like biting into a Granny Smith green apple.

But stay with it, and something softer follows.

A little sweetness starts to hum in the background – not loud, not showy. Just enough to remind you this mango is still ripening. I picked up on notes of pineapple this week, a bit of sugarcane, even something like apricot.

It doesn’t feel like eating a fruit — it’s more like tasting a memory, or three at once.