Mango
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The mango (Mangifera spp.; plural mangos or mangoes) is a genus of about
35 species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family
Anacardiaceae, native to India and Indo-China, of which the Indian Mango
M. indica is by far the most important commercially. Reference to mangos
as the "food of the gods" can be found in the Hindu Vedas, written in
about 4000 B.C. The name of the fruit comes from the Tamil word man-kay,
which was corrupted to manga by the Portuguese when they explored western
India. The mango also features as a common motif, known as the paisley,
in Indian textiles.
The mango is now widely cultivated as a fruit tree in frost-free tropical
and subtropical climates in North, South and Central America, the
Caribbean, South and Central Africa, the Philippines and Australia. It is
easily cultivated and now there are more than 1,000 cultivars, ranging
from the turpentine mango (from the strong taste) to the huevos de toro,
generally translated as "bull's testicles", from the shape and size. 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.
Contents
1 Description
2 Methods of eating a mango fruit
2.1 Mango in other forms and dishes
3 Important Mango cultivars
4 Fair trade
5 External links
[edit]
Description
Mangos become very large trees. In height a mango tree may reach 35-40
meters (130 feet) with a span of 10 meters (33 feet) at the top. New
leaves are almost a salmon color that rapidly changes to a dark glossy
red, then dark green as they mature. When the small white flowers emerge
they give off a mild sweet odour suggestive of lily of the valley. After
the flowers fall off, the fruits may take from three to six months to
ripen.
The mango fruit, when fully mature, 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 fruits come in a variety of colors: green,
yellow, red, or various combinations of these colors. When ripe, the
unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive, slightly sweet smell. In the
center of the fruit (a drupe) is a single flat, oblong stone that can be
fibrous or hairless on the surface, depending on variety. 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.
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 varieties 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, others
have a firmer flesh much like that of a cantaloupe or avacado, and in
some cultivars the flesh can contain fibrous material. Mangoes are a very
juicy fruit; the sweet taste and high water content make them refreshing
to eat, however the juice can make eating them quite a messy affair.
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 also toxic to cattle.
It is reputed that mangos soothe the intestines, which makes them easy to
digest. In India, mangos are used to stop bleeding, to strengthen the
heart, and to benefit the brain. Their high levels of iron make them
useful in treating anemia.
Mangoes
[edit]
Methods of eating a mango fruit
Some people claim that the safest way to eat a mango is in the bathtub,
or sitting naked on a deserted beach, or even on top of a mango tree
itself. Generally, once ripe, they are quite juicy and can be very messy
to eat. However, those exported to temperate regions are, like much
tropical fruit, picked under-ripe. Although they are ethylene producers
and ripen in transit, they rarely have the same juiceness 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, store in a cool,
dark place, but not your refigerator. Refrigeration will slow the
ripening process.
The small varieties, usually somewhat yellow in color, can be rolled on a
flat surface in the same way a lemon is rolled before extracting the
juice. It is ready for eating when the big stone can be rotated without
breaking the skin. With the teeth rip off a piece of skin at the top of
the mango and place your mouth over the hole. Squeeze the fruit from the
bottom up, as if squeezing toothpaste from the bottom of the tube.
With any of the larger varieties of mango, the operation is less
hazardous: place the fruit lengthwise on a table and feel for the rather
flat stone (containing the seed), which should lie horizontally inside
the skin about midway through the fruit. Slice the mango so that the
knife just passes over the flat surface of the stone. Turn the mango over
and repeat the process, cutting across the other flat surface.
With each big slice that has been removed, cut hatch marks through the
flesh just down to the skin. Then, holding the piece flesh side up, press
the thumb on the skin side underneath as if turning the piece inside out.
Many bite-sized pieces of flesh will pop up and can be cut out to put
into a fruit salad or other preparation. This technique is sometimes
called the hedgehog method because of the appearance of the prepared
fruit. An alternative to the hedgehog method is to use a spoon to scoop
out pieces of the fruit from the exposed "cheeks".
A simple way to eat a large mango 'as is' involves using a knife. Start
by removing part of the skin and then slice out bite-sized pieces with
the knife. Remove more skin to expose more flesh. Expect to get juicy
hands when eating the last part, when there is no skin to hold with your
hand.
[edit]
Mango in other forms and dishes
Ripe mangoes are extremely popular throughout Latin America. In Mexico,
sliced mango is eaten with chili powder and/or salt. In Guatemala,
Ecuador and Honduras, small, green mangoes are popular; they have a
sharp, brisk flavor 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, mango is often made into a pulp and sold as
bars like chocolate, and unripe mango is eaten with chili powder and/or
salt. In the Philippines, unripe mango is eaten with bagoong, a salty
paste made from fermented fish or shrimp.
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 (now mango) 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.
[edit]
Important Mango cultivars
Many hundred named mango cultivars exist. In mango orchards, several
cultivars are always grown intermixed to improve cross-pollination. In
India, the commonest cultivar is 'Alphonso', known as the King of
Mangoes. The best 'Alphonso' mangos are reputed to come from the town of
Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. About 80% of mangos in UK supermarkets are of
the single cultivar 'Tommy Atkins', which dominates the world export
trade. It travels well and has a good shelf-life, but does not have the
same flavour as some less common varieties obtained from Asian shops.
The following are among the more widely grown, listed by the country in
which they were selected or are most extensively cultivated: ...
* India
* 'Alphonso' (also called 'Hapoos'), 'Amrapali','Bangalora',
'Banganapalli', 'Bombay', 'Bombay Green','Chausa', 'Dashaheri'
('Daseri'), 'Fazli',
'Fernandian','Gulabkhas','Himsagar','Kesar', 'Kishen Bhog',
'Lalbaug', 'Langda' ('Langra'), 'Mallika', 'Mankurad', 'Mulgoa',
'Neelam', 'Pairi', 'Rajapuri', 'Safeda',
'Suvarnarekha','Totapuri','Vanraj', 'Zardalu'
Fair trade
Mangoes are a popular fruit with consumers 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.
[edit]
External links
* Mango Fruit Facts (http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/mango.html)
* Mango cultivar list (http://www.rajans.com/cultivars.htm)
* McGregor on Mango Pollination
(http://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/book/chap5/mango.html)
* Mango Post Harvest (http://www.fao.org/inpho/compend/text/Ch20sec1.htm#)
* Health and Mangoes (http://www.nationalpak.com/healthmangoes.asp)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango";
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