M is for Mango

The mango is a very common tropical fruit usually found in Southern Asia, especially in Eastern India, Philippines, China, Burma, Andaman Islands and Central America. It is cultivated and grown vastly in many tropical regions and widely distributed in the world.

Mango is one of the most extensively used fruit for food, juices, flavor and coloring making it as the most functional fruit. The ripe fruit is variable in size and color, and may be yellow, orange, red or green when ripe, depending on the cultivar. When it is ripe refreshingly sweet taste that varies from every variety. Its flesh has its fibrous and some are soft and pulpy texture.

Photo by Terence Kwek

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.Mango: botany and taxonomy, HorticultureWorld 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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Native to southern Asia, especially eastern India, Burma, and the Andaman Islands, the mango has been cultivated, praised and even revered in its homeland since Ancient times. Buddhist monks are believed to have taken the mango on voyages to Malaya and eastern Asia in the 4th and 5th Centuries B.C.

The Persians are said to have carried it to East Africa about the 10th Century A.D. It was commonly grown in the East Indies before the earliest visits of the Portuguese who apparently introduced it to West Africa early in the 16th Century and also into Brazil. After becoming established in Brazil, the mango was carried to the West Indies, being first planted in Barbados about 1742 and later in the Dominican Republic. It reached Jamaica about 1782 and, early in the 19th Century, reached Mexico from the Philippines and the West Indies.

Source: Julia F. Morton's "Fruits of Warm Climates": Mango

The luscious mango, Mangifera indica L., one of the most celebrated of tropical fruits, is a member of the family Anacardiaceae-notorious for embracing a number of highly poisonous plants.

The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

In Hinduism, the perfectly ripe mango is often held by Lord Ganesha as a symbol of attainment, regarding the devotees potential perfection.

The fruit is high in prebiotic dietary fiber, vitamin C, polyphenols and provitamin A carotenoids. It is also rich in a variety of phytochemicals and nutrients that qualify it as a model "superfruit", a term used to highlight potential health value of certain edible fruits.

Mango peel contains pigments that may have antioxidant properties, including carotenoids, such as the provitamin A compound, beta-carotene, lutein and alpha-carotene, polyphenols such as quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechins, tannins, and the unique mango xanthone, mangiferin, any of which may counteract free radicals in various disease mechanisms as revealed in preliminary research.

Mango Chutneys are made from raw green mangoes that usually contains various spices including chilli but may differ in flavor that can be sweet and hot. If you are looking for ways on how to cook mangoes in an alternative way, you can give this recipe a try!

Ingredients for the Mango Chutney Recipe

* 1 large raw (unripe) mango, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

* 2 tsp mustard seeds

* 3 tbsp vegetable oil (EVOO works)

* 1/2 tsp asafoetida ("Heengh" in Hindi, "Perungayum" in Tamil)

* 3-4 dry red chillies

* 2-3 green chillies (you can add more if you want it spicier)

* 1 tsp lime juice (if mango is not sour enough)

* 1 tsp turmeric powder

* 3/4 tbsp salt (adjust to taste)

Procedure:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, green chillies and red-chillies. Wait till the mustard seeds splutter and remove pan from stove. Grind the above mix with mango, lime juice (if needed) turmeric and salt.

This is how to make an easy Mango Chutney Recipe

Mango Pie is a perfect refreshing dessert for everyone.

Ingredient

* 2 1/2 cups peeled and sliced ripe mango

* 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

* 3/4 cup granulated sugar

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1 tablespoon melted butter

* pastry for two-crust pie, 9-inch

Preparation

Combine mango slices, tapioca, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Toss to combine; let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Roll out half of the pastry very thin; line a 9-inch pie pan; trim edge. Roll out remaining pastry very thin. Fill shell with fruit mixture; moisten edge of crust. Place the top crust on filling, make several slits in top to vent steam. Trim top crust leaving it just a little larger than the pan. Press top crust and moistened bottom crust edge together; fold excess top under the bottom edge. Flute all around rim. Bake mango pie at 425 for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until top is well browned.

Recipe Courtesy of About.com

Mango Ice Cream Dessert

Ingredients

* 2 cups ripe mango, diced, peeled

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

* 2 cups milk

* 5 egg yolks

* 1 cup whipping cream

Preparation

Combine mango, 1/2 cup of sugar and lime juice in a non-metallic bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make a custard by scalding the milk in a 2-quart saucepan. Whisk the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the hot milk in a thin stream while whisking. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, uncovered, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil. Strain into a bowl, and let cool to room temperature.

Stir the mango mixture into the custard mixture. Stir in the cream. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if desired. Freeze in an electric or crank ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.

Recipe Courtesy of About.com

Did you know, you can grow mango in your own garden. Growing mango is easier than you might think.