Mango

About

A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree Mangifera indica which is believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. Worldwide, there are several hundred cultivars of mango. Depending on the cultivar, mango fruit varies in size, shape, sweetness, skin color, and flesh color which may be pale yellow, gold, green, or orange.

Growing

Mango trees grow to 30–40 m (98–131 ft) tall, with a crown radius of 10–15 m (33–49 ft). The trees are long-lived, as some specimens still fruit after 300 years. Over 500 varieties of mangoes are known, many of which ripen in summer, while some give a double crop.[10] The fruit takes four to five months from flowering to ripen. The ripe fruit varies according to cultivar in size, shape, color, sweetness, and eating quality. The fruit has a single flat, oblong pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, and does not separate easily from the pulp.

An important breakthrough in mango cultivation is the use of potassium nitrate and ethrel to induce flowering in mangoes. The discovery was made by Filipino horticulturist Ramon Barba in 1974, and was developed from the unique traditional method of inducing mango flowering using smoke in the Philippines. It allowed mango plantations to induce regular flowering and fruiting year-round. Previously, mangoes were seasonal, because they only flowered every 16 to 18 months. The method is now used in most mango-producing countries.

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Common Recipes

• Tacos With Mango Salsa and Spicy Green Sauce

Varieties

While there are hundreds of different cultivars, none are used specifically for specific recipes

Nutritional Information

Based on a 100g portion ¹

References