Mangoooessss
The mango is probably one of the most delicious fruits in the whole world, and perhaps one of the few fruits that are popular on every continent.
The mango tree's scientific name is Magnifera indica. It is of the kingdom Plantae, the class Magnoliopsida, the order Sapindales, and the family Anacardiaceae. Mango trees are evergreen with symmetrical, rounded canopies. Their canopies can be low and dense (like southern Magnolias) or high and open (like a Maple tree)
Mango leaves when mature are 12-16 inches long with a glossy finish. They have a leathery texture and are deep green.
Species of Mangoes
Suprisingly, there are around 400 species of mangoes identified. Many of the species eaten in America originate from Florida. But other varieties can come from every continent on Earth (excluding Antartica lol). I was suprised to learn that some varieties are grown in Europe Its hard to make a list of every variety of mango, so I will make a list of the 5 most common ones below:
-
Osteen Mango from South Florida, United States
These are sweet, creamy in texuture, and golden. -
Rataul Mango from Uttar Pradesh, India
which are smooth and yellow in color. -
Bombay Mango from Maharashtra, India
which are smooth and yellow. -
Zill Mango from Pakistan
these are also smooth and yellow (what a trend). -
Hayden Mango from Florida, United States
These mangoes have a fibrous texture and are orange.
Flavor and Color Variants
The flavor profile of a mango can vary greatly and depending on the type of mango and its ripeness. The flavor of a mango relies on its chemical composition, which certainly varies between varieties.
- Esters give a fruity and tropicalflavor.
- Aldehydes add a green, refreshing flavor(think cucumber or the white part of the watermelon)
- Sulfurs add a more complicated fruity flavor. I cant really describe it, but its compared to black currant.
- Furanones give a sweet, candied flavor.
- Lactones add a creamy yet still fruity flavor, like coconut.
- Terpenes give "resinous" smells and flavors. Think "terpintine" which comes from pine trees. This flavor is concentrated in the mango peel.
When is a Mango Ripe?
In my experience, mangoes tend to be harder and more tart the less ripe they are. Usually when they arent ripe yet, they are very green and very hard. When mangoes are over ripe, they taste more bland and are more mushy and fibrous. They are also noticably soft.
The perfect mango is one that has a slight softness and has plenty of color on it, like red, orange or yellow, and some green. Ive only had experience eating mangoes popular in America, where most of our mangoes are from Florida, so these traits may vary outside of the US.
Ways to Eat it!
There are a lot of ways to eat mangoes, many of which I never even heard of until very recently. Usually I like to eat mangoes plain and sliced. I keep the skin on, so I can scrape the mango off it with my teeth. The part of the mango thats righ next to the skin has a unique and yummy flavor! I associate this way of eating mango with Jamaica, but of course people all around the world eat it this way.
recently, while visiting and indian restaurant I came across a curry that contains mango! Never before thought about cooking one and putting it on meat. The dish is called Ambe upakari. Im not very knowledgable on Indian food, but I'm trying to learn more gradually!
Another way to eat mangos, which is also very familiar to me, is in fruit tea! Mango green tea has been a recent favorite mine, as I mentioned before. With mango jellies of COURSE. This is something that I usually find at asian tea shops or poke bowl spots.
Last but not least, Is another dish I just recently learned about (thanks to Uyen and German boyfriend on Youtube) Thai Mango Sticky Rice. Its a dessert mad from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, a side of mangoes, with coconut sauce drizzled on top. personally Im not a fan of coconut, but hearing the description of this dish made my mouth water. I would love to try it some day!