Food

Food Information

Fruit

Tropical

MANGOES

Mangoes are believed to have originated in India and Burma. They are a most flavorful and refreshing fruit that grow on huge trees, some of which attain a height and width of near fifty feet. To the people in the tropics, the mango tree plays a role similar to that of the apple tree in North America. Some claim that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was a mango rather than an apple, and its out-of-this-world flavor lends credence to the claim. With the possible exception of a vine ripened honeydew or a perfectly ripe pineapple, there is no fruit any sweeter or more fragrant than a ripe mango.

Mangoes are in season from January through September. The peak of season, which features the lowest prices and the most flavorful varieties, is May, June, and July. Most of our mangoes are imported from Mexico and Central America. Some are brought in from Haiti, and of late a few have been flown in, during the off-season, from Brazil. We also have a fair-sized crop that is produced in southern Florida. Hawaii grows mangoes, but as a rule its crop is less than sufficient to supply the demand in the islands. For the most part, attempts to grow mangoes in California have not borne marketable fruit.

Mangoes come in assorted varieties, sizes, colors, and shapes. They can be as small as a hen's egg and weigh a few ounces or as large as an ostrich egg and weigh about four pounds. Neither extreme of size is grown commercially. While there are countless varieties, only about half a dozen are sold in quantity in the United States. These can be broken down into two types: the Saigon mango and the Indian mango.

The Saigon type is represented by our imports from Haiti. These mangoes are fairly flat and kidney-shaped. As they ripen, they color up much like a banana, going from a dull dark green to light green and then to a dull yellow, which is why they are also called Banana mangoes. The ones we import early in the season from Haiti are not very good, but those that arrive at the tail end of the season are called Francines and are very good. Unfortunately, both the losers and the winners are as alike in appearance as two peas in a pod. The trick is to skip the Haitian mangoes until late in the summer.

Indian mangoes are imported from Central America and Mexico and are also grown in Florida. There are five major varieties-three are excellent, one is an also-ran, and one is bad news.

The one to avoid is a fairly flat, kidney-shaped, green-skinned mango with a red cheek, called an Oro. There is nothing golden about this variety except the color of its flesh. It is quite stringy, tastes like turpentine, and usually spots up and decays before it ripens. If you have ever bought an awful mango, it was probably an Oro. They are brought in from Mexico and should be turned back at the border by the USDA or the U.S. Customs Service. The only reason they sell is that they look quite good and are the first variety to hit the market.

The also-ran is our best-looking and best-selling mango. It is called the Tommy Atkins (which is the British counterpart to our G.l. Joe). These are shapely, smooth-skinned, and as pretty as a picture. The skin color is almost completely bright red. The flavor is fair, but the fruit tends to be stringy. Why is it our best seller if it isn't as flavorful as some of the other varieties? Because American consumers often make a choice by their eyeballs rather than their taste buds.

One of our winners is a variety called the Haden. It isn't very large in size and when ripe it is yellow in skin color with a red cheek. It is very fragrant and is our sweetest, tastiest mango. It has a fairly good texture, measured by its lack of fiber or strings.

The Kent variety is a fairly large, green-skinned mango that has a reddish cheek. It is sweet in flavor, has a smooth texture, and is fiber-free.

The Keitt variety is large, green in color, and may or may not have a slight touch of red. It is fairly sweet and has a very smooth, fiber-free texture. It also has a smaller seed than other mango varieties.

The Haitian fruit arrives as early as January. They are joined by the Oros from Mexico in February. Both are bad news and should be avoided until the Mexican Hadens arrive in April. From April through September it's clear sailing and good eating. During those six months, fine Central American, Mexican, and Florida Hadens, Kents, and Keitts are in the market. In September the Haitian Francine variety is also worth buying. The Tommy Atkins-at best only pretty good-are available from May through July.

Although Florida grows the same varieties that are grown in Mexico and Central America, our domestic fruit is never quite as sweet and juicy as the imports. While the warmer climates in Latin America are more ideal for the warmth loving mango, the main reason why the Florida mangoes aren't as good is the time of harvest. The Mexican mangoes are left on the trees until they reach near full maturity. When this fruit arrives at market it is either ready to eat or very close to it. The Florida mangoes are picked while hard as a rock and will take a week or more to ripen up at room temperature. The tree ripened fruit has more flavor and fragrance.

While there can be some dispute as to whether the mango is the world's sweetest fruit, there is no argument that it is the sloppiest. This fruit wasn't designed for dainty eating. The combination of a very juicy flesh and a large, flat pit that is not freestone makes it a messy operation.

In the tropics, where serving mangoes is a rule rather than an exception, they use silver mango forks with four long tines. A very ripe mango is skewered and the skin is scored with four lengthwise cuts. The skin is then peeled down like a banana and the fruit is eaten like an ice cream pop.

Another common way to eat mangoes in the tropics is to gently roll them on a table as you would to soften a hard lemon. When the pulp is almost liquid, make a small incision at the stem end and suck out the nectar like pulp. This method can only be used if the mango is dead ripe.

Mangoes can be cut into uneven slices and served solo or in combination with other tropical fruits. Hard green mangoes are used to make chutney.

It is very difficult to pinpoint and describe the flavor of a mango. A ripe mango has the combined flavor of very ripe peaches, apricots, and pineapples. If you have yet to try a mango, you are in for a flavor treat. It isn't a taste that has to be acquired.

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WHEN TO BUY: At peak May, June, and July
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Firm, not bruised fruit
HOW TO STORE: Ripen at room temperature; preferable not to refrigerate


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