Mango

The mango is the fruit of a mango tree (Mangifera indica L.), a fruit tree of the Anacardiaceae family, native to South and Southeast Asia, from East India to the Philippines. Introduced to new regions, the mango can now be found in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and other tropical countries. Portuguese traders who brought mangos from Asia popularized the fruits in Europe.

The name “mango” comes from the Malayan language.

The mango is the national fruit of India (where there are over a hundred different varieties of mango), the Philippines and Pakistan. Mangos are mentioned in ancient Sanskrit poems dating back to the fourth century. It is believed that the mango was tasted by Alexander the Great (3^rd centruy B.C.) and by Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (7^th century BC). In the sixteenth century, the Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have planted a hundred thousand mango trees in Darbhanga, Bihar, a place now known as Lakhi Bagh.

A fresh mango contains about 15% sugar and up to 1% protein as well as significant amounts of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, including vitamins A, B, and C. Additionally, due to high concentrations of iron, mango is often used for treatments of anemia, particularly for pregnant and menstruating women.

In India, mangos are believed to stop bleeding, strengthen the heart, and promote brain health. It is also used to treat lung infections, inflamed gums (gingivitis, sores in the mouths and corners of the lips).

The peel of the mango is smooth and is found in a variety of colors including red, orange and yellow. The inside of a mango is juicy, sweet, and tasty and can be fibrous or smooth depending on the variety. It only has one large pit.

When ripe, the mango emits a sweet aroma. However, if it smells fermented, it is overripe. Choose mangos with firm peels that give slightly when squeezed. If the mango is squeezed and the peel does not break, it is overripe.

The color of the mango peel will also indicate ripeness. When the mango is no longer green (now red and yellow in color), it is ready to eat. However if there are many black spots, that indicates that the mango is overripe.

However, in the case of an under ripe mango that you’d like to ripen quickly, simply wrap in paper with a ripe mango and wait until it achieves the desired ripeness.

Bom apetite!