Encyclopedia
The
mango is a genus of about 35 species of tropical fruiting
trees in the
flowering plant family
Anacardiaceae. No one knows the exact origins of the mango but most believe that it is native to the Southern and Southeast Asian continent including Eastern India, Burma, and Bangladesh after fossil records were found there dating back 25 to 30 million years. The mango exists in two races, one from India and the other from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Indian race does not tolerate humidity well, has flushes of bright red new growth that are subject to mildew, and bears monoembryonic fruit of high color and regular form. The southeast asian race tolerates excess moisture, has pale green or red new growth and resists mildew. Its polyembryonic fruit is pale green and elongated kidney-shaped. Reference to mangos as the "food of the gods" can be found in the
Hindu Vedas. The name of the fruit comes from the
Tamil word
mangaai, or the
Malayalam word
manga, and popularised by the Portuguese after their Indian exploration, hence the word 'manga' in Portuguese.
Mangos are large trees, reaching 35-40 m in height, with a crown radius of 10 m. The
leaves are
evergreen, alternate, simple, 15-35 cm long and 6-16 cm broad; when young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark glossy red, then dark green as they mature. The
flowers are produced in terminal
panicles 10-40 cm long; each flower is small and white with five petals 5-10 mm long, with a mild sweet odour suggestive of
lily of the valley. After the flowers finish, the fruit takes from three to six months to ripen.
The mango
fruit is a
drupe; when mature, it hangs from the tree on long stems. They are variable in size, from 10-25 cm long and 7-12 cm diameter, and may weigh up to 2.5 kg. The ripe fruit is variably coloured yellow, orange and red, reddest on the side facing the sun and yellow where shaded; green usually indicates that the fruit is not yet ripe, but this depends on the
cultivar. When ripe, the unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive
resinous slightly sweet smell. In the center of the fruit is a single flat, oblong seed that can be fibrous or hairless on the surface, depending on cultivar. Inside the shell, which is 1-2 mm thick, is a paper-thin lining covering a single
seed, 4-7 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, 1 cm thick.
Cultivation and uses
The mango is now widely cultivated as a fruit tree in
frost-free tropical and subtropical climates throughout the
Indian subcontinent,
North,
South and
Central America, the
Caribbean, south and central
Africa,
Australia and
Southeast Asia. It is easily
cultivated and there are now more than 1,000
cultivars, ranging from the turpentine mango to the
huevos de toro . The mango is reputed to be the most commonly eaten fresh fruit worldwide. Mangos also readily naturalize in tropical climates. Some lowland forests in the
Hawaiian Islands are dominated by introduced mangos and it is a common backyard fruit tree in
South Florida where it has also escaped from cultivation.
The mango is a popular fruit with people around the world. However, many mango farmers receive a low price for their produce. This has led to mangoes being available as a '
fair trade' item in some countries.
The fruit flesh of a ripe mango contains about 15%
sugar, up to 1%
protein, and significant amounts of
vitamins
A, B and
C. The taste of the fruit is very sweet, with some cultivars having a slight acidic tang. The texture of the flesh varies markedly between different cultivars; some have quite a soft and pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe
plum, while others have a firmer flesh much like that of a
cantaloupe or
avocado, and in some cultivars the flesh can contain fibrous material. Mangoes are very juicy; the sweet taste and high water content make them refreshing to eat, though somewhat messy.
The mango is in the same family as poison ivy and contains
urushiol, though much less than poison ivy. Some people get dermatitis from touching mango peel or sap. Persons showing an allergic reaction after handling a mango can usually enjoy the fruit if someone else first removes the skin. The leaves are toxic to
cattle.
It is reputed that mangos soothe the intestines, which makes them easy to digest. In India and
Pakistan, where mangoes are the national fruit in both countries, they are thought to help stop bleeding, to strengthen the heart, and to benefit the brain.
The mango is also a common motif in Indian
textiles, known as the
paisley design.
Production and consumption
Top 12 Mango Producers - 2005
|
|---|
| India | 1,600,000 |
| China | 433,600 |
| Thailand | 285,000 |
| Indonesia | 273,440 |
| Mexico | 173,837 |
| Philippines | 160,000 |
| Pakistan | 151,500 |
| Nigeria | 125,000 |
| Guinea | 82,000 |
| Brazil | 68,000 |
| Vietnam | 53,000 |
| Bangladesh | 51,000 |
| World Total | 3,870,200 |
Source:
UN Food & Agriculture Organisation |
As of 2005 India was the largest producer, with an area of 16,000 kmē with an annual production of 10.8 million tonnes, which accounted for 57.18% of the total world production. The state of
Maharashtra in western India has the most conducive climate conditions to produce the most renowned variety of this fruit, the Hapoos mango. The earlier Portuguese explorers took to calling it Aphoos and later, Alphonso. Farmers in the entire coastal Konkan belt cultivate the Hapoos mango, which fetches them substantial profits. The Ratnagiri and Devgad Hapoos from Maharashtra jointly take place of pride as the finest amongst all types of mangoes produced. Otherwise, the state of
Uttar Pradesh dominates the mango production in the North, and it is considered the most important fruit in central and eastern part of the state, from
Lucknow to
Varanasi, which also produce some fine varieties. In southern India,
Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka states are major producers of mangoes and specialize in making a variety of mango pickles. These pickles are very spicy. It is almost an essential food in Andhra families, where mango pickle production is a household activity in summer.
Generally, once ripe, mangoes are quite juicy and can be very messy to eat. However, those exported to temperate regions are, like most tropical fruit, picked under-ripe. Although they are
ethylene producers and ripen in transit, they do not have the same juiciness or flavour as the fresh fruit. A ripe mango will have an orange-yellow or reddish skin. To allow a mango to continue to ripen after purchase, it should be stored in a cool, dark place, but not in a refrigerator as this will slow the ripening process.
Ripe mangoes are extremely popular throughout Latin America. In
Mexico, sliced mango is eaten with chili powder and/or salt. Street vendors sometimes sell whole mangoes on a stick, dipped in the chili-salt mixture. In
Indonesia, green mango is sold by street vendors with sugar and salt and/or chili. Green mango may be used in the sour salad called
rujak in Indonesia, and
rojak in
Malaysia and
Singapore. In
Guatemala,
Ecuador,
Nicaragua and
Honduras, small, green mangoes are popular; they have a sharp, brisk flavour like a
Granny Smith apple. Vendors sell slices of peeled green mango on the streets of these countries, often served with salt. In
Hawai'i it is common to pickle green mango slices.
Mangoes are widely used in chutney, which in the West is often very sweet, but in the
Indian subcontinent is usually sharpened with hot
chilis or limes. In India, ripe mango is often cut into thin layers, desiccated , folded, and then cut and sold as bars that are very tasty and chewy. These bars, known as amavat in Hindi, are similar to dried
guava fruit bars available in Colombia. Many people like to eat unripe mangoes with salt , and in regions where food is hotter, with salt and chili.
In the
Philippines, unripe mango is eaten with bagoong, fermented minute shrimp paste which comes in sweet, salty and spicy flavours. Dried strips of sweet, ripe mangoes have also gained popularity both inside and outside the country, with those produced in
Cebu making it to export markets around the world.
Mango is also used to make juices, both in ripe and unripe form. Pieces of fruit can be mashed and used in
ice cream; they can be substituted for peaches in a
peach pie; or put in a blender with milk, a little sugar, and crushed ice for a refreshing beverage. A more traditional Indian drink is mango
lassi, which is similar, but uses a mixture of yoghurt and milk as the base, and is sometimes flavoured with salt or
cardamom. In
Thailand and other South East Asian countries, sweet glutinous rice is flavoured with coconut then served with sliced mango on top as a dessert.
Dried unripe mango used as a spice in India is known as
amchur . Am is a
Hindi word for Mango and amchoor is nothing but powder or extract of Mango.
Note: The Sweet Bell Pepper was once known as
mango in parts of the midwestern
United States . With the advent of fresh fruit importers exposing individuals to the tropical fruit, the colloquial use of this alternative name for the Sweet Bell Pepper has become archaic, although occasionally midwestern menus will still offer
stuffed mangoes as an entree.
Many hundred named mango
cultivars exist. In mango
orchards, several cultivars are often intermixed to improve cross-pollination. In Maharashtra, the most common cultivar is 'Alphonso' . 'Alphonso' is known as the
King of Mangoes due to the popular opinion among many in India that it is the best cultivar available. The best 'Alphonso' mangos are reputed to come from the town of Ratnagiri and Devgad in
Maharashtra. In Uttar Pradesh, 'Dasheri' from Lucknow is famous for its aroma, and is so tasty that even the skin can be eaten. 'Langada' from Varanasi in eastern UP is another variety which is extremely sought after for its fine flavour and aroma. 'Banganapalli' of
Andhra Pradesh is one of the most sought after cultivar. Maldah is one of the most sought after cultivar in Bihar. Notably, cultivars which excel in one climate fail to achieve their potential in other climates. Thus the cultivar 'Julie', a Jamaican favourite, and 'Alphonso' have never found great success in South Florida, Israel or Australia.
Currently, the world market is dominated by the cultivar 'Tommy Atkins'- a seedling of 'Haden' which first fruited in 1940 in Southern Florida, USA. Despite being initially rejected commercially by Florida researchers, 'Tommy Atkins' quickly became an export favourite worldwide. For example, 80% of mangos in
UK supermarkets are '
Tommy Atkins'. The success of 'Tommy Atkins' comes despite its fiberous flesh and fair taste. Despite this, growers world-wide have embraced the cultivar for its exceptional production and disease resistant, the
shelf-life of its fruit, their transportability as well as their size and beautiful colour. 'Tommy Atkins' is predominant in the USA as well, although other cultivars, such 'Kent', 'Keitt', the Haitian grown 'Madame Francis' and the Mexican grown 'Champagne' are widely available.
In urban areas of southern Florida, small gardens, or lack thereof, have fueled the desire for dwarf Mango trees. The
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has led the charge for the "condo mango" by identifying cultivars which can be productive while maintained at a height below 2-2.5 m .
A list of additional leading cultivars can be found at the cultivar list link in the external links below.
External links
- "Mango" article in Alan Davidson's Oxford Companion to Food
- for the mango splitter
- about the mango splitter
