How to cook mango

Information for mango in our free cooking ingredients collection.

Mango

The mango is an oval fruit with a smooth, inedible skin that varies from green to yellow to red. The fruit ranges from 2 to 9 inches long. The yellow to orange flesh of a mango is soft and very juicy. The flesh encloses one large, fibrous seed. When ripe, the fruit exudes a rich smell and the flavor is both sweet and sour.

Family - Anacardiaceae
Scientific name - Mangifera indica L.
Common name - mango, mangot, manga

High in vitamin A (beta-carotene) and vitamin C

Varieties

Mangoes are available in two main types, the Indian and the Indochinese (sometimes referred to as the Philippine). Between these two types, more than 100 different varieties are grown worldwide.

Origin and botanical facts

Mangoes are indigenous to southeast Asia and India. Around the 5th century B.C., they were brought from India to other parts of tropical Asia, from where their cultivation spread to other parts of the world. The Portuguese may have introduced the fruit to the New World when they brought seeds and seedlings to Brazil. From there, the mango found its way into Florida in the late 18th century.

The mango belongs to the same family as the cashew and pistachio; it is a medium-sized to large evergreen tree. Classified as a drupe (a fruit with a single seed), most popular commercial varieties of the fruit have been cultivated to be less fibrous and more flavorful than their predecessors.

Mangoes are as popular in the tropics as the apple is in the United States. Most U.S. imports come from Mexico, with smaller numbers from Haiti, Brazil, and Peru. Puerto Rico produces most of the U.S. crop, and Florida and California produce the rest.

Worldwide, India is the leading producer and consumer of the fruit. Mexico is second to India in production and is the leading exporter of mangoes today. Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Brazil are also major producers.

How to cook mango

Mangoes are picked for shipping while still firm and green. The ripe fruit yields to slight pressure and has an intense flowery fragrance. Partially ripe mangoes will ripen at room temperature in about 3 to 5 days. Ripe fruit will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Sliced or cubed, mango is often combined with papayas, bananas, and coconut to make a tropical fruit salad. Mangoes can be used to top waffles or pancakes and can be blended with yogurt and ice to make smoothies. Pureed mango can be used to make marinade for grilling meats or a dessert sauce.

Mangoes are generally consumed fresh, but canned and preserved versions and juices of the fruit also are available.

• Melons
• Nectarine
• Olives
• Orange
• Papaya
• Passion fruit
• Peach
• Pear
• Persimmon
• Pineapple
• Plum
• Pomegranate

• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Guava
• Jackfruit
• Jujube
• Kiwi
• Kumquat
• Lemon
• Lime
• Longan
• Loquat
• Lychee

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