There are some people who are unable to take pleasure from a mango: too fibrous, too hard to get off the seed and a slightly turpentine-musty taste is their verdict. This is no wonder, because they have tried out a fruit which was harvested before being ripe and was improperly stored. Fresh, ripe mangos are juicy and firm and taste marvellously sweet-sour.

In 1673 a traveller expressed the view that nectarines, peaches and apricots were unable to compete with the taste of the mango. In the Vedas, the holy writings of Hinduism, it is described at the “food of the gods” in 1200 BC, and even today Hindus offer it to the gods as a sign of wealth and divine sweetness.

Mango trees were being cultivated along the banks of the Ganges up to 4,000 years ago – they reached an age of 100. The Magifera drupe belonging the family of Anacardiaceae are indigenous to the tropical rain forest located between Assam (East India) and Myanmar (Burma).

Even today India is the largest producer with annual yield of 9.5 million tonnes. However mango trees, which grow to a height of up to 45 metres, are now also grown in the USA (Florida, Hawaii), Central and South America (Mexico), Africa’s tropical zone (Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire), large parts of Asia (Thailand, the Philippines), Australia and Spain (Costa del Sol, Canary Islands).

A mango is not just a mango: Approximately 1,000 varieties are grown throughout the world, ranging in size from that of plums to melons, and when ripe their skins can be green, yellow, red or violet, depending on the type. The fruit is made into juice and compote, jam, jelly and ice cream and is found as a “softener” in many a curry. Unripe mangos are used in savoury chutney and mixed pickles, which are sweetened in England, but salted in India. The mango powder (amchur) extracted from unripe fruit is a very essential ingredient in curry mixtures.

Mangos have also been immortalised in a cocktail: Mixed with Champagne, lime juice and a trace of honey they become a “Mogul Fizz”.

When shopping for mangos you should make sure that they are fresh, fruity and have an acceptable smell. The skin should give way a little, but not too much and there should be no visible black spots which can be indicative of bacterial or fungal decay. The colour itself is no indicator of ripeness, because many types of mangos are still green when fully ripe or only partially yellow or reddish.

You can find some tasty recipes using mangos in our database: