Mango

Mango is one of the most popular tropical fruits in the world and is often known as the "apple of the tropics". Mango fruits are usually eaten ripe, when they are soft and sweet. But some people prefer them unripe, when they are harder with a more sour taste.
This page gives some basic information about mango, followed by some mango photos, some mango proverbs and and quotes, and mango recipes.

Basic information on mango

Scientific name:	Mangifera indica
English:	Mango Common mango
Dutch:	Mango Manga
Spanish:	Mango
French:	Manguier Mangue Fruit du manguier
German:	Mango Mangobaum Mangofrucht
Italian:	Mango
Family:	Anacardiaceae
Order:	Sapindales
Origin:	Southern Asia, Burma, eastern India
Distribution:	All tropical regions of the world.
Evergreen or deciduous:	Evergreen
Flowers:	Yellowish or creamy color
Leaves:	Dark green above and pale below. Flushes of young leaves are usually reddish or yellowish.
Climate and weather:	Lowland tropical and subtropical areas. Requires a frost-free climate. Must have warm dry weather to set fruit.
Pollination:	Pollination by flies, hoverflies, bees. High humidity and rain will result in poor pollination. Mango trees are monoecious and self-fertile.
Height:	10-15 meter (but sometimes higher)
Crown size:	4-7 meter (or even bigger)
Blooming period	December-January (Thailand)
Type of soil:	Any well-drained soil.
Preferred pH:	5.5 - 7.5
Moisture:	Moderate. Avoid wet soils.
Light:	Full-day sunlight
Growth rate:	Moderate
Spacing (close range)	4 meter
Spacing (wide range)	8 meter
Canopy:	Often broad and rounded. Good as a shade tree.
Propagation:	Grafting of selected cultivars on seedling rootstocks
Insect pests:	Scales, mealybugs, mites, psyllids, fruit flies.
Diseases:	Powdery mildew on flowers, bacterial spot on leaves and fruits, anthracnose
Fruit development:	From flowering to maturity takes 100-150 days.
Harvesting:	Pick mangos when fully ripe off the tree.
Uses:	Eat as a dessert fruit. Also used to produce juice, jam or jelly. Unripe fruits can be used to prepare pickles or chutney.

Mango photos

Proverbs about mango

• An ant guarding a mango.
• Crime leaves a trail like a water beetle; like a snail, it leaves its silver track; like a horse-mango, it leaves its smell.
• If you don't eat mangos that fall on the ground, be sure to be strong enough to pick ones on the tree.
• Mango among fruits, pork among meats, tea among leaves.
• You don't throw rocks at a green mango.
• I would finance all the mangos in the world



Quotes about mango

• Lie down in tall grass. Sink in and forget where you are. Then forget your name. Gather gifts from the natural world and let the stones you collect in your pockets start to pull your pants down. Write a love letter to your best friend on a big leaf. Find a glorious spot. Forget about your personal finance and your personal life. Take a big bit of the Mango and just sit there and breathe. (Sark, in: Eat Mangos Naked)

Who knows more interesting mango quotes?

Did you know that?

• "Big Mango" is the nickname for Bangkok (Thailand) just like "Big Apple" is the nickname for New York City
• Mango is the national fruit in three countries: India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Mango recipes

Mangoes with cream

Ingredients:
Ripe mango (not overripe), whipped cream (not too sweet)
Instructions:
Peel the mango and cut in small cubes or slices. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Serve with the whipped cream.

Mango sauce

Ingredients:
2 ripe mangoes (not overripe), 4 tablespoons fine sugar (or less), 2 tablespoons rum, Lime or lemon juice
Instructions:
Peel the the mango and remove all the mango flesh off the seed. Put the mango flesh in a blender together with the sugar and the rum and blend until you have a smooth sauce. To adjust the taste you can add some lime or lemon juice. Use this sauce in combination with tropical fruit salads. Pour the sauce over cubed and chilled pieces of fruit, or use it as a dip for pieces of fruit (pineapple, banana, papaya, etc.)

Spicy Mango Salad

Ingredients
1) Green sour mango 1-2 fruits
2) Roasted peanut or cashew nut
3) Dried shrimp
4) Thin sliced red onion
5) Dried chili
6) Chopped Red chilies
7) Chopped coriander
8) Palm sugar
9) Fish sauce
Instructions:
Peel mango and rinse with the clean water. Cut the mango to get long thin pieces. Mix palm sugar with fish sauce and a little bit of dried chili, adjust taste as you like. Put mango in a bowl then add peanut or cashew nut, dried shrimp, red onion and red chilies. Mix them well then add the sauce, mix them well and adjust the taste again. Serve in a plate, topping it with the cashew nut and coriander.