College of Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University
Dedicated to improving the lives, health,
and environment of individuals, families and communities.

Excerpted The luscious mango is without a doubt a divine fruit. It is for good reason, one of the most popular fruits in the world, eaten by about one-fifth of the people of this planet. Eating its exquisite, perfumed flesh is the ultimate tropical indulgence.

To millions of people living in Southeast Asia the mango has been a basic and precious fruit for as long as anyone can remember. Many believe that the "apple" Eve picked from the tree of knowledge was a mango.

For thousands of years the people of India have considered mangoes the "food of the gods." In their religious ceremonies, mango blossoms symbolize abundance and divine sweetness. It is said that Buddha was presented with a shady mango grove in which to find repose.

In the 14th century, the Persian poet Amir Khusur wrote: "The mango is the pride of the garden, the choicest fruit of Hindustan."

From India, the mango conquered the whole tropical and subtropical world, including the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. Still, an estimated two-thirds of the world's mangoes, about 14 million tons, come from India.

There are two main mango varieties, one from India, the other from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Indian mango doesn't tolerate humidity and bears regularly shaped, brightly colored fruit. The Philippine mango can tolerate excess moisture and has pale green, elongated kidney-shaped fruit.

buddhist monks are believed to have taken the mango to Malaysia and eastern Asia as early as the fourth and fifth centuries B.C. The Persians are said to have carried it to East Africa about the 10th century A.D. The Portuguese brought the mango from their colonies in southern India to West Africa and Brazil early in the 16th century. After becoming established in Brazil, the mango was carried to the West Indies - first to Barbados about 1742 and later to the Dominican Republic. Early in the 19th century, the mango reached Mexico from both the east, via the Philippines, and the west, via the Caribbean.

Indian-type mangoes were imported into Florida as early as 1833, but despite efforts, most trees died. Of six grafted tress that arrived from Bombay in 1998, only one lived to bear fruit. Seeds from this tree were planted by a Captain Haden in Miami and bore fruit years after his death. His widow gave the name "Haden" to the tree with the best fruit. For decades this variety was regarded as the standard of excellence and it is still popular for shipping because of its tough skin.

Mango chutney because a mainstay of British cookery when British colonials brought back chutneys, relishes made from fruit and spices, from India.

Mango treees often reach 120 feet, with a top as much as 30 feet wide. A beautiful tree with shining, dark green leaes, it is appreciated in the tropics for casting a great, cool shadow. The fruits ripen in three to six months and hang on long stems. The smallest mangoes are no larger than a hen's egg, the largest can weight up to five pounds.

Each mango has a single flat seed, surrounded by flesh, which is either yellow or orange, and rich in Vitamins A, C, and D. Because the fruit is easily bruised, mangoes are usually harvested by hand.

Mangoes can be oval, round, heart-shaped or long and slender. The colors of the ripe fruit vary from red, yellow-red and sunset-orange to yellow and deep green.

Most mangoes are hard when you find them at market. To expedite ripening, place the mango in a paper bag for a few days. When it is ripe you'll be able to smell its perfume. Keep the mango away from sunlight and avoid high humidity. Leave at cool room temperature till the flesh is yeilding but not mushy. A scattering of small black spots is also an indication of ripeness.

URL Home: <http://food.oregonstate.edu/, Oregon State University>

Updated: Thursday, January 6, 2011.