Everything about Mango totally explained
» This article is about the fruit. For other meanings of the word, please see mango (disambiguation).
Mangoes belong to the genus
Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting
trees in the
flowering plant family
Anacardiaceae. The
Encyclopædia Britannica (2008) reports that the mango is "considered indigenous to eastern Asia, Myanmar (Burma), and Assam state of India". Cultivated in many tropical regions, mango has special significance in
Pakistan,
India,
Bangladesh and
Philippines. Its leaves are ritually used for floral decorations at
Hindu marriages and religious ceremonies.
Etymology
The name
mango is ultimately either from the
Kodagu mange, the
Malayalam manga, or the
Tamil mangai, and was loaned into Portuguese in the early 16th century, and from Portuguese passed into English. The ending in
-o appears in English and is of unclear origin.
Species
There are many species of mango, including:
Description
Mango trees (
Mangifera indica) reach 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 the leaves are young they're 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 odor suggestive of
lily of the valley. After the flowers finish, the fruit takes from three to six months to ripen.
The ripe fruit is variable in size (right image) and color, such as yellow, orange, red or purple. Often red on the side facing the sun and yellow where shaded, a mango that's green usually indicates unripe fruit, but this depends on the
cultivar. When ripe, the unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive
resinous sweet smell. In its center is a single flat oblong seed that can be
fibrous or hairy on the surface, depending on cultivar. Inside the seed coat 1-2 mm thick is a thin lining covering a single
embryo, 4-7 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, 1 cm thick.
Cultivation and uses
Mangoes have been cultivated in the
Indian Subcontinent for thousands of years and reached
East Asia between the 5th-4th century BC. By the 10th century AD, they were transported to
East Africa
Mango is now widely cultivated as a fruit tree in
frost-free tropical and warmer 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 yielding more than 1,000
cultivars, ranging from the "turpentine mango" (named for its strong taste of
turpentine, which according to the
Oxford Companion to Food some varieties actually contain) to the
huevos de toro (literally "eggs of the bull", a euphemism for "
bull's
testicles", referring to the shape and size).
Although a popular fruit around the world, 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. Dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties, such as
Nam Doc Mai, yield fruit in containers.
Diseases
Food
The fruit flesh of a ripe mango is very sweet, with a unique taste. The texture of the flesh varies markedly between different cultivars, some having a soft, pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe
plum, while others having firmer flesh like a
cantaloupe or
avocado. In some cultivars, the flesh has a fibrous texture. Mangoes are juicy with a sweet taste and high water content making them refreshing to eat.
Mangoes are widely used in
chutney, which in the West is often very sweet, but in the
Indian subcontinent is usually made with sour, raw mangoes and 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 chewy. These bars, known as amavat or halva in Hindi, are similar to dried
guava fruit bars available in Colombia. In many parts of India, people eat squeezed mango juice (called Ras), the thickness of which depends on the type of mango, with variety of bread items and is part of the meal rather than a dessert. Many people like to eat unripe mangoes (which are extremely sour; much more than lemon) with salt, and in regions where food is hotter, with salt and chili.
In Kerala, ripe mango (also ripe jackfruit) is used as a vegetable in the preparation of a dish called
mambazha kaalan.
The fruit is also widely used as a key ingredient in a variety of cereal products, in particular muesli and oat granola.
In the
Philippines, unripe mango is eaten with
bagoong. 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.
Guimaras island is also a major producer of mangoes in the Philippines, with a local variety that's reputed to be the sweetest among mango varieties.
In other parts of
South-east Asia, mangoes are very popular pickled with
fish sauce and rice vinegar.
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 used in pies; or blended with milk and ice to make thick milkshakes. 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 and is known as
amchur (sometimes spelled
amchoor) in India and
ambi in Urdu.
Aam is a
Hindi/
Urdu/
Punjabi word for mango.
Note: The Sweet Bell Pepper (
capsicum) 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.
Nutrient and antioxidant properties
An excellent overall nutritional source, mango is rich in
dietary fiber and
carbohydrates. It contains diverse essential vitamins and minerals, many of which are particularly high in content. The
antioxidant vitamins
A,
C and
E comprise 25%, 76% and 9%, respectively, of the
Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) in a 165 g serving.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, 11% DRI), vitamin K (9% DRI), other
B vitamins and
essential nutrients such as
potassium,
copper and 17
amino acids are at good levels. Mango
peel and pulp contain other
phytonutrients, such as
carotenoids,
polyphenols, and omega-3 and -6
polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Usually discarded as waste, mango peel has considerable potential as an antioxidant food source.
Antioxidants of the peel and
pulp include numerous carotenoids, polyphenols, such as
quercetin,
kaempferol,
gallic acid,
caffeic acid,
catechins,
tannins, and the unique mango
xanthone, mangiferin, any of which may counteract
free radicals in various disease mechanisms as revealed in preliminary research. Up to 25 different carotenoids have been isolated from mango pulp, the densest content for which was
beta-carotene accounting for the yellow-orange
pigmentation of most mango species.
The mango
triterpene, lupeol, is an effective inhibitor in laboratory models of prostate and skin cancers. An extract of mango branch bark called Vimang, isolated by Cuban scientists, contains numerous
polyphenols with antioxidant properties
in vitro and on blood parameters of elderly humans.
In the same plant family as
poison sumac, mango's peel also contains the oil,
urushiol, possibly eliciting a skin rash called
urushiol-induced contact dermatitis.
Mango is recognized in the
Muslim world as a possible supplement for sexual potency.
Nutrient data in the text are for a 165 g serving as presented by Nutritiondata.com whereas the table presents data for a 100 g serving.
Production and consumption
Approximately 50% of all tropical fruits produced worldwide are mangoes. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates worldwide production of mangoes at more than 23 million tons in 2001. With 10 million tons, India accounts for almost half of the world production, followed by China (3 million tons), Mexico (1.5 million tons) and Thailand (1.35 million tons). The aggregate production of 10 countries is responsible for roughly 80% of the entire world mango production.
Alphonso, Benishan or Benishaan (Banganpalli in Telugu and Tamil) and Kesar mango varieties are considered among the best mangoes in
India. Commonly exported, the
Alphonso cultivar is grown exclusively in the Konkan region of
Maharashtra. Alphonso is named after
Afonso De Albuquerque who reputedly brought the
drupe on his journeys to
Goa. The locals took to calling this Aphoos in
Konkani and in Maharashtra the pronunciation got further corrupted to Hapoos. This variety then was taken to the Konkan region of Maharashtra and other parts of India.
Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka states in the south,
Gujarat in western India, and
Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar in the north are major producers of mangoes harvested especially to make spicy mango pickles having regional differences in taste.
Generally, once ripe, mangoes have an orange-yellow or reddish peel and are juicy for eating while those intended for export are often picked while under-ripe with green peels. Although producing
ethylene while ripening, unripened exported mangoes don't have the same juiciness or flavor as fresh fruit.
Mangoes are 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, or used in a sour salad called
rujak or
rojak in
Malaysia and
Singapore.
Ayurveda considers ripe mango sweet and heating, balancing all three
doshas (humors), while also providing energy. Powdered raw mango is sometimes a condiment in various
cuisines.
Cultivars
Many hundreds of named mango
cultivars exist. In mango
orchards, several cultivars are often intermixed to improve cross-pollination.
In
Maharashtra, the most common cultivar is
Alphonso known in Asia under its original name, Hapoos. Popular outside the Indian subcontinent, Alphonso is an important export product.
Other popular cultivars include
in Uttar Pradesh, Dasheri, famous for its aroma
Langra from Varanasi
Bombai from Bihar
Banganapalli, also called Benishan or Benishaan
Maldah from Bihar and West Bengal
Kuini from West Malaysia
Notably,cultivars which excel in one climate fail to achieve elsewhere. The cultivar Julie, a Jamaican favorite, and Alphonso have not been successfully grown in Florida.
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 is now a favorite worldwide. For example, 80% of mangos in UK supermarkets are Tommy Atkins. Despite its fibrous flesh and fair taste, growers world-wide have embraced the cultivar for its exceptional production and disease resistance, the shelf-life of its fruit, their transportability as well as size and appealing color. 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 promoted "condo mangos" which produce at a height below 2-2.5 m.
A list of additional leading cultivars can be found at the cultivar list in the external links below.
There is an Australian variety of mango known as R2E2, a name based on the orchard row location of the original plant.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mango'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://mango.totallyexplained.com">Mango Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
