Mango

The fruit, Mangifera indica, of a tall tree bearing yellow flowers, one of the most commonly eaten fruits in the tropical areas of the world. India alone produces 10.5 million tons (9.5 million tonnes) of mangoes each year. Mangoes probably originated in the Himalayan region of India and Burma, where they've been cultivated for more than 6,000 years. In the 14th century, a poet named Amir Khusrau wrote, "The mango is the pride of the garden, the choicest fruit of the Hindustan. The other fruits we are content to eat when ripe, but the mango is good at all stages of growth." In Thailand and some South American countries, the mango is eaten green. The Portuguese introduced it to Brazil in the 17th century and referred to it as manga, a transformation of man-kay or man-gay, which in Tamil, the language of southern India and northern Sri Lanka, means "unripe mango fruit."

In India, Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, is often depicted holding a mango. Emotional arguments are common in Indian families over the "right" mango to use in whichever recipe handed down from prior generations. There are hundreds of varieties of mangoes, ranging in size from that of a large plum to 7 pounds (3.2 kg) or larger. The mango belongs to the same family as the pistachio and the mahogany. Mangoes were growing in Florida in 1825, but not until 1889, when the Department of Agriculture began experiments in grafting, did anyone consider the fruit a feasible commercial crop. The Hayden (also Haden), from Florida, is one of the most widely distributed varieties in the U.S. Another popular variety is the Malgoba, deep yellow with red on one side, weighing from 8 ounces to 1 pound (250 to 500 g). Some other varieties include Bennet, Sandersha, Paheri, Kent and Manila. Because the mango is a distant cousin of poison oak and poison ivy, some people have allergic reactions to its skin. Mangoes can range in color from yellow or green with a red blush to greenish yellow. They have a sweet pulp that tastes like peach. They're eaten raw or made into salsas, chutneys and preserves, available fresh from midwinter to autumn, but also available canned.

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