Mango
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent.[3] Cultivated in many tropical regions and distributed widely in the world, mango is one of the most extensively exploited fruits for food, juice, flavor, fragrance and color, making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called superfruits. Its leaves are ritually used as floral decorations at weddings and religious ceremonies.
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[edit] Description
Mango trees (Mangifera indica L.) reach 35–40 m in height, with a crown radius of 10 m. The tree is long-lived with some specimens known to be over 300 years old and still fruiting. In deep soil the taproot descends to a depth of 20 feet, and the profuse, wide-spreading feeder roots also send down many anchor roots which penetrate for several feet. 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. 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 odor suggestive of lily of the valley. The fruit takes from three to six months to ripen.
The ripe fruit is variable in size and color, and may be yellow, orange, red or green when ripe, depending on the cultivar.When ripe, the unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive resinous sweet smell. In its center is a single flat oblong seed that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, depending on the cultivar. Inside the seed coat 1–2 mm thick is a thin lining covering a single embryo, 4–7 cm long, 3–4 cm wide, and 1 cm thick.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
Mangoes have been cultivated in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years[4] and reached East Asia between the 5th-4th century BC. By the 10th century AD, they were transported to East Africa[4] and subsequently introduced to Brazil, West Indies and Mexico, where climate allows its appropriate growth.[4] The 14th century Muslim traveler, Ibn Battuta, reported it at Mogadishu.[5] Mango is now cultivated as a fruit tree in frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates like that of the Indian subcontinent; nearly half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India alone.[6][7][8]
Other regions where mango is cultivated include North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, south, west and central Africa, Australia, China, Pakistan and Southeast Asia. It is easily cultivated yielding more than 1,000 cultivars, ranging from the "turpentine mango" (named for its strong taste of turpentine, which according to the Oxford Companion to Food some varieties actually contain) to the huevos de toro ("eggs of the bull", a euphemism for "bull's testicles", referring to the shape and size).
Though India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world, it accounts for less than one percent of the global mango trade.[9]
Dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties serve as ornamental plants and can be grown in containers.
A wide variety of diseases can afflict mangoes; see List of mango diseases.
[edit] Food
A ripe mango is sweet, with a unique taste that nevertheless varies from variety to variety. The texture of the flesh varies between cultivars, some having a soft, pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others have firmer flesh like a cantaloupe or avocado. In some cultivars, the flesh has a fibrous texture.
Mango lassi [mango smoothie] is very popular in Indian restaurants in some countries.
[edit] Indian cuisine
In western recipes of 'Chutney', ripe mangoes are often used, but chutney in the Indian subcontinent is usually made with sour, unripe mangoes and green chilis.
In India, ripe mangoes are often cut into thin layers, desiccated, folded, and then cut. These bars, known as aampapdi,' amavat or halva in Hindi, are similar to dried guava fruit bars available in Colombia. In many parts of India, people eat squeezed mango juice (called ras) on a variety of bread. This is part of the meal rather than a dessert. Unripe mangoes (which are extremely sour) are eaten with salt, and in regions where food is hotter, with salt and chili.
In Andhra Pradesh, mangoes are used to made the spicy pickle known as Avakaya Pachhadi.
In Kerala, ripe mangoes are used in a dish called mambazha kaalan.
In Goa, miscut (pronounced mis-koot) is a spicy mustard-oil pickle made from raw mangoes. Fhodd is a water-pickle where raw mangoes are preserved in a brine solution (with dried red chillies).
In Maharashtra, moramba (a kind of preserve, made from jaggery and mango) and aamras (pulp/thick juice made of mangoes, with a bit of sugar if needed and milk at times) are famous. A spicy, sweet and sour semi-liquid side-dish called meth-amba is made from unripe mango slices called kairi, jaggery and fenugreek seeds. They can be enjoyed with poories and polies, like jam.
In India, mango is also manufactured as a pickle (aachar), amawat, murraba, amchur, sukhawata & chatni.
During the hot summer months, a cooling summer drink called panha (in Marathi) and panna (across north India) is made with raw mango. Mango lassi is made by adding mango pulp to the North Indian yoghurt drink lassi.
The fruit is also used in a variety of cereal products, in particular muesli and oat granola.
Dried and powdered unripe mango is known as amchur (sometimes spelled amchoor) in India and ambi in Urdu. Amb is a Sindhi, aamba a Marathi, and aam a Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and Bengali word, "maanga" (unripe) or "maambazham" (ripe) Tamil for 'mango'.
In Tamil Nadu, Salem is famous for Malgova or Salem mangoes. Mango is harvested young and unripe (vadu maangaa) and used for pickles. When harvested big and unripe, they are used for pickles or eaten raw, especially with salt and red chilli powder. Mangoes are also harvested ripe and are typically used in making juices, lassis and are eaten raw as well. It is one of the three prime fruits (mukkani - maa (Mango), palaa (Jackfruit) & vaazhai (Banana)) in Tamil Sangam literature.
In north of Tamil Nadu, Arambakkam located on the Chennai-Kolkatta National highways, There is a variety called jawari or Jawahar Pasand
[edit] Non-Indian cuisine
In the Philippines, unripe mango is eaten with bagoong. Dried strips of sweet, ripe mango (sometimes combined with seedless tamarind to form Mangorind) are also popular, with those from Cebu exported worldwide. Mangoes are also used to make juices, mango nectar, and as a flavoring and major ingredient in ice cream and sorbetes. Guimaras produces a delicious mango.
In Mexico, 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. It is popular on a stick dipped in hot chili powder and salt or also as a main ingredient in fresh fruit combinations.
Pieces of mango can be mashed and used as a topping on ice cream or blended with milk and ice as milkshakes. In Thailand and other South East Asian countries, sweet glutinous rice is flavored with coconut then served with sliced mango as a dessert.
In other parts of South-east Asia, mangoes are pickled with fish sauce and rice vinegar. Green mangoes can be used in mango salad with fish sauce and dried shrimps.
In Taiwan, mango is a topping that can be added to shaved ice along with condensed milk.
The sweet bell pepper (capsicum) was once known as mango in parts of the United States.[10]
In Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica), mango is either eaten green with salt, pepper and hot sauce, or ripe in various forms. Only in Costa Rica, ripe mangoes are called manga to differentiate them. In Guatemala, toasted and ground pumpkin seed (called Pepita) with lime and salt are the norm when eating green mangoes. In Colombia mango is also eaten either green with salt and/or lime, or ripe in various forms.
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