Mangoes of Mexico: Most
Americans would consider mangos an exotic fruit. To the
rest of the world though, they are as familiar as apples
or pears are to us! In fact, mangos are the #1 most
consumed fruit in the world.
Americans are falling in love with this fragrant fruit.
We’ve tasted that sassy mango flavor in sorbets, smoothies
and flavored yogurt, and now it’s time to go to the
source: the warm-hued ambrosial flesh of the fruit itself.
The
leading supplier to the U.S. (and the rest of the world)
is Mexico—and, in terms of quality, Mexican mangos
are the gold standard. Fortunately for us, it’s only a
short ride from the mango orchards and packing houses of Mexico to
American markets, and the season for this premium
tree-ripened fruit is a lengthy one, running from February
until mid-September, and peaking from April to July.
Mango
varieties differ greatly in both appearance and flavor.
The shape can be oblong, kidney-shaped or round, and the
skin color ranges from red to golden to green. The flesh,
which ranges from mellow yellow to deep orange, surrounds
a pit that is usually large and flat. Even before peeling,
the aroma hints at the flavor of the fruit, which suggests
citrus, pineapple and peach, but is uniquely sublime.
Mangos have been traced back at least five thousand
years to Southeast Asia. The seeds first made their
way to Mexico
via the Philippines in the 17th century. Other
varieties reached Mexico only during the 19th century,
after following a circuitous route through Persia to
Africa or Portugal and from there to the West Indies.
Mangos thrived (and continue to thrive) in
Mexico,
where the moderate climate and alternation of rainy
and dry seasons provide ideal growing conditions. The
towering evergreen trees, with their shiny leaves and
plump mangos, flourish in several parts of Mexico,
from the Yucatan peninsula in the southeast all the
way up the Pacific coast to Mazatlan.
Once picked and packed, Mexican mangos go global.
Mexico is the dominant supplier not only to the U.S.,
where it has two-thirds of the market share, but to
the world. Though mangos are imported into the U.S.
from other countries, Mexican mangos have the edge,
quality wise. Because the distance to our markets is
relatively short (just eight hours by truck from some
northern growing regions), the fruit can be ripened
longer on trees, resulting in unrivalled sweetness.
Mexican mangos destined for the U.S. market are
processed separately in a facility certified by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. The fruit undergoes a
phytosanitary hot water treatment before it is shipped.
Mexican Mango Varieties: Mexico produces five varieties of mangos for
export to the U.S., each with distinctive qualities. With a little
practice,
you’ll learn to recognize them. Their
growing seasons are staggered, so from February until
September, Mexican mangos just keep coming!
American consumers tend to like red mangos, believing
they’ll be riper and sweeter. But color is literally
only skin deep. A mango’s red blush gives no
indication of ripeness. Some varieties remain yellow
or green when ripe, so in general, softness and aroma
are better indicators of ripeness than color. Many
mangos acquire a yellow background color as they ripen
but the green varieties remain that color even at
their peak of sweet ripeness.
