| Origin | Native to southern Asia, especially eastern India, Burma, and the Andaman Islands. |
| Description | Called King of fruits, mangoes are fibrous, sweet, yellow-fleshed fruit with a green to yellow to red-coloured skin with a large, flat to oval seed inside. There are over 1000 varieties of mangoes in the world. |
| Growth Habitat | Tropical and subtropical areas of the world. |
| Foliage | The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, 15–35 cm long and 6–16 cm broad; when the leaves are young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark, glossy red, then dark green as they mature. |
| Flowers | The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10–40 cm long; each flower is small and white with five petals 5–10 mm long, with a mild, sweet fragrance suggestive of lily of the valley. |
| Fruits | The ripe fruit varies in size and color. Cultivars are variously yellow, orange, red or green, and carry a single flat, oblong pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, and which does not separate easily from the pulp. Ripe, unpeeled mangoes give off a distinctive resinous, sweet smell. |
| Harvest | When a mango is ripe for picking, it will snap of the branch easily. For red-coloured mangoes, a change in colour is seen before ripening. Be careful of the latex dripping off the stem, it can cause allergies and dermatitis, wiping or washing the fruit can prevent the mango skin from burning and discolouring. Falling causes bruising and later spoiling. |
| Soil | Mangoes need nutrient-rich, deep soil with a pH of 6 to 7.2. Sandy soil with loam will allow for good drainage and deep root growth. |
| Pruning | Trimming the tree down to three or four main branches increases air circulation and may prevent fungal diseases such as powdery mildew. Pruning stimulates vegetative growth and flowering. Once flowering is established, excessive vegetative regrowth can be cut back. |
| Fertilization | Fish emulsion is a good choice for first year saplings. As the tree matures, use a NPK 6-6-6 citrus fertilizer with magnesium 6 times a year for the second and third year and 4 times a year thereafter. Micronutrient sprays that contain zinc, manganese, boron and molybdenum are essential for mango trees. Use them 6 times a year for the first four years and 4 times a year thereafter. If the soil isn't rich in iron, use an iron drench. |
| Propagation | Mangoes can be propagated from seeds, but the resulting plants rarely produce fruit equal in quality to the parent plant. The best way to propagate mango trees is by grafting a scion from the parent plant onto a mango rootstock grown from a seed. |
| Nutritional Properties | Mango pulp is high in prebiotic dietary fiber, vitamin C, has diverse polyphenols and provitamin A carotenoids. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), folate, other B vitamins and essential nutrients, such as potassium, copper and amino acids, are also present. |
| Health Benefits | Prevents Cancer: Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes. Lowers Cholesterol: The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein which is bad. Clears the Skin: Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples. Eye Health: One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes. Alkalizes the Whole Body: The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body. Helps in Diabetes: Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood. The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning. Mango fruit also have a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels. Improved Blood circulation: Mangos are a great source of vitamin E. Vitamin E helps prevent cancer, heart disease, strokes, cataracts, and possibly some of the signs of aging. Improves Digestion: Papayas are not the only fruit that contain enzymes for breaking down protein. There are several fruits, including mangoes, which have this healthful quality. The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination. Remedy for Heat Stroke Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps to cool down the body and prevent harm. From an ayurvedic viewpoint, the reason people often get diuretic and exhausted when visiting equatorial climates is because the strong “sun energy” is burning up your body, particularly the muscles. The kidneys then become overloaded with the toxins from this process so drinking green mango water can prevent this. Boosts Immune system The generous amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangos, plus 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy and strong. |
| Commercial Uses | Mangoes are widely used in cuisine. Sour, unripe mangoes are used in chutneys, athanu, pickles, or side dishes, or may be eaten raw with salt, chili, or soy sauce. A cooling summer drink called panna or panha comes from mangoes. Mixing ripe mangoes or mango pulp with yoghurt and sugar creates mango lassi, a popular drink made throughout South Asia. Ripe mangoes are also used to make curries. Aamras is a popular pulp/thick juice made of mangoes with sugar or milk, and is consumed with bread, rice or pooris. The pulp from ripe mangoes is also used to make jam called mangada. Mango is used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars, raspados, aguas frescas, pies and sweet chili sauce, or mixed with chamoy, a sweet and spicy chili paste. |
| Food Suggestion | Mango and Papaya Lassi Ingredients - 1 mango cut in cubes - ¼ papaya cut in cubes - 4 tblsps of Sunquick Mango cordial - 3 cups of cold yoghurt - 5 ice cubes Method Add all to a blender and blend. Serves 2. |
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