Mango

Name: Mango (Mangifera indica). Well-known types include Alphonso, Kesar and Dasheri from India, Ataulfo (also called the honey or champagne mango) from Mexico, and Tommy Atkins, the red-blushed variety common in international trade. The tropical angle on mango, including cultivars and ripening, is covered on its page under Tropical Fruits.

Description

The mango is native to South Asia, in the region spanning India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, where it has been cultivated for about four thousand years. It is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines, and is regarded as the “king of fruits” across much of South Asia. The English word comes through Portuguese from the Tamil mankay.

Botanically, the mango is a stone fruit, with a single large, flat stone surrounded by juicy flesh and covered in a thin skin. Portuguese and later other traders carried the tree to Africa, the Americas and Southeast Asia, and it is now grown across the tropics and some subtropical regions, with India the world's largest producer.

Main nutrition value

Mangoes are a good source of vitamin C and vitamin A (from carotenoids such as beta-carotene), plus fibre and folate, and have a naturally high sugar content.

How best to be consumed

Mangoes are best eaten fully ripe, when they give slightly to pressure and smell sweet at the stem end.

1. Slice the flesh from either side of the stone and eat fresh, or scoop it out of the skin with a spoon.
2. Blend into lassi, smoothies and sorbet, or pair with sticky rice in the classic Thai dessert.
3. Add cubes to salsas, salads and curries, where the sweetness balances spice.
4. Use green, unripe mango in chutneys, pickles and salads, where the sourness is the point.
5. Ripen firm mangoes at room temperature, then refrigerate to slow further ripening.

Overconsumption could cause…

Mangoes are healthy in sensible portions, with a few specific points to know.

1. High sugar intake, since a whole mango carries a lot of natural sugar, which matters for people managing diabetes.
2. Skin and sap irritation in some people, since mango skin contains compounds related to those in poison ivy, which can cause a rash around the mouth.
3. Allergic reactions in some people, especially those sensitive to related plants.
4. Digestive upset from eating many at once, particularly unripe fruit.

GroupsStone FruitsTropical FruitsCashew family (Anacardiaceae)Rose family (Rosaceae)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin CFresh

Made intoDried MangoMango Juice

Related foodsLycheeCoconutRambutanCherrySweet CherrySour Cherry

Wikipedia — Mango, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango