PFoodFood InformationFruitTropical
Mangoes are believed to have originated in India and Burma. They area most flavorful and refreshing fruit that grow on huge trees, some of whichattain 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 ratherthan 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 ripepineapple, 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 CentralAmerica. Some are brought in from Haiti, and of late a few have been flownin, during the off-season, from Brazil. We also have a fair-sized crop thatis produced in southern Florida. Hawaii grows mangoes, but as a rule itscrop is less than sufficient to supply the demand in the islands. For themost part, attempts to grow mangoes in California have not borne marketablefruit.
Mangoes come in assorted varieties, sizes, colors, and shapes. They canbe as small as a hen's egg and weigh a few ounces or as large as an ostrichegg and weigh about four pounds. Neither extreme of size is grown commercially.While there are countless varieties, only about half a dozen are sold inquantity 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 mangoesare fairly flat and kidney-shaped. As they ripen, they color up much likea banana, going from a dull dark green to light green and then to a dullyellow, which is why they are also called Banana mangoes. The ones we importearly in the season from Haiti are not very good, but those that arriveat 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 ina pod. The trick is to skip the Haitian mangoes until late in the summer.
Indian mangoes are imported from Central America and Mexico and arealso 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 witha red cheek, called an Oro. There is nothing golden about this varietyexcept 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 boughtan awful mango, it was probably an Oro. They are brought in from Mexicoand should be turned back at the border by the USDA or the U.S. CustomsService. The only reason they sell is that they look quite good and arethe first variety to hit the market.
The also-ran is our best-looking and best-selling mango. It is called theTommy Atkins (which is the British counterpart to our G.l. Joe).These are shapely, smooth-skinned, and as pretty as a picture. The skincolor is almost completely bright red. The flavor is fair, but the fruittends to be stringy. Why is it our best seller if it isn't as flavorfulas some of the other varieties? Because American consumers often make achoice by their eyeballs rather than their taste buds.
One of our winners is a variety called the Haden. It isn't very largein size and when ripe it is yellow in skin color with a red cheek. It isvery fragrant and is our sweetest, tastiest mango. It has a fairly goodtexture, measured by its lack of fiber or strings.
The Kent variety is a fairly large, green-skinned mango thathas a reddish cheek. It is sweet in flavor, has a smooth texture, and isfiber-free.
The Keitt variety is large, green in color, and may or may not havea slight touch of red. It is fairly sweet and has a very smooth, fiber-freetexture. It also has a smaller seed than other mango varieties.
The Haitian fruit arrives as early as January. They are joined by the Orosfrom Mexico in February. Both are bad news and should be avoided until theMexican Hadens arrive in April. From April through September it's clearsailing and good eating. During those six months, fine Central American,Mexican, and Florida Hadens, Kents, and Keitts are in the market. In Septemberthe Haitian Francine variety is also worth buying. The Tommy Atkins-at bestonly pretty good-are available from May through July.
Although Florida grows the same varieties that are grown in Mexico and CentralAmerica, 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 warmthloving mango, the main reason why the Florida mangoes aren't as good isthe time of harvest. The Mexican mangoes are left on the trees until theyreach near full maturity. When this fruit arrives at market it is eitherready to eat or very close to it. The Florida mangoes are picked while hardas 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 sweetestfruit, there is no argument that it is the sloppiest. This fruit wasn'tdesigned for dainty eating. The combination of a very juicy flesh and alarge, 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 skeweredand the skin is scored with four lengthwise cuts. The skin is then peeleddown 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 themon a table as you would to soften a hard lemon. When the pulp is almostliquid, make a small incision at the stem end and suck out the nectar likepulp. This method can only be used if the mango is dead ripe.
Mangoes can be cut into uneven slices and served solo or in combinationwith 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 ripemango 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'ta taste that has to be acquired.
PWHEN 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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