Mango is a fruit from hot countries, which has long appeared on store shelves, but, unfortunately, our compatriots did not like like bananas or pineapples. Perhaps, after reading the article, many will reconsider their attitude to exotic fruits, appreciate their benefits and taste.

How does a mango grow and look?

These are very beautiful shady trees that are often used in landscaping of tropical countries. If the plant receives enough heat and light, then it grows with a large, beautiful, rounded crown up to 20 meters in height. To ensure constant access to moisture, its roots grow 6 meters deep into the ground. There are individual specimens of trees that live about 300 years and continue to bring crops annually.

Mango leaves with prominent veins have a dark green color on top and a lighter color on the back. The flowers of the plant are very small red or yellow, collected in panicles up to 2000 pieces each. The size, color and shape of the fruit depends on the particular variety.

The birthplace of mangoes is Burma and East India, but now the plant is distributed in other warm corners of our planet. These are Malaysia, East Asia and Africa, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Spain, Australia.

Varieties and types

There are over three hundred varieties of fruit.

The most common:

  1. Kaen Oan (pink-orange mango). The thin skin of its fruits has an orange color with a delicate pink tint. The weight of the largest fruit of this variety rarely exceeds 250 grams.
  2. Pimsean (pink-green mango) is a rare variety that is considered one of the best. Its fruits weigh 350-450 g.
  3. GaewLek (small green mango) is a mango variety with the smallest fruits (up to 200 g).
  4. Keo-Sa-Woei (dark green). The darker its fruits become, the more ripe the flesh is.
  5. Nam-Doc-Mai (classic yellow mango) is the most popular variety, whose average fruit can weigh up to 500 g.

There are as many varieties of mangoes as there are varieties of apples in our country, so it’s difficult to determine which of them is tastier in all this variety, but there is a positive point - everyone will be able to find mangoes to their taste.

Read also:the benefits of passion fruit

What is the difference between green mango and yellow?

The green and yellow color of the mangoes is the main difference between the two varieties of exotic fruits. So, fruits with bright colors have the correct shape and belong to the varieties of the Indian variety. Another variety with elongated green fruits is the Filipino or South Asian mango, whose plants are less susceptible to sharp fluctuations in climatic conditions.

What taste does the fruit have?

Ripe mango has a sweet fruity taste with subtle sourness, in which notes of apricot, melon and peach are guessed. The color of the pulp can vary from yellow to orange. Its feature is the small presence of hard fibers, they are especially noticeable if the plant grew near a source of hard water, or was processed with chemical fertilizers. The lower the fiber content in the pulp, the higher the quality of the fruit.

Composition, calories and nutritional value

The mango pulp is rich in vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids, which the human body is not able to produce on its own.

The vitamin composition of this exotic fruit is as follows: Vitamin A, B1, B2, PP and C. Among the minerals, which are abundant in the pulp of mango, are copper, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Due to this, regular consumption of fruit has a positive effect on the body's immune system and blood formation processes.

As for the nutritional value of mangoes, in the percentage ratio of 100 g of the edible part of the fruit 82.2% consists of water, 1.6% - dietary fiber, 15% carbohydrates (sucrose, fructose, xylose and glucose), 0.4% - fats and 0.8% proteins.

The calorie content of ripe mango, depending on the variety, can range from 65 to 70 kcal / 100 g.

Mango: benefits and harm to the human body

An Asian apple, also called mango, has unique beneficial properties, as it is the first fruit in the world that can stop the division of cancer cells and the infection of healthy tissues. But it is not a panacea and is used as an additional source of vitamins.

The beneficial properties of mangoes are manifested in helping the nervous system, helping to cope with stressful situations, slowing down the aging of skin cells, cleansing the walls of blood vessels, protecting against atherosclerosis and other diseases of the joints, restoring the body's water balance.

In addition to a positive effect on the human body, this fruit can cause harm. Most often, it is due to its excessive use. Since mango contains a lot of sucrose and glucose, people with diabetes need to use this product very carefully.

How to determine the ripeness of the fruit?

When determining ripeness, one should not rely too much on the appearance of the fetus, more attention should be paid to other signs:

  1. Place near the stalk. In an unripe fetus, the end of the stalk is down, because the flesh has not yet been poured with sugar. In ripe mangoes, the place at the stalk is round and poured, and the stalk itself is slightly raised.
  2. The aroma. Regardless of the variety, ripe mangoes have a very bright, strongly pronounced sweet fruity aroma. It is especially strongly felt if you sniff the fruit closer to the stem. Do not buy odorless or alcoholic mangoes. These fruits are either unripe or already spoiled.
  3. The weight. Ripe, poured mangoes weigh much more than immature ones. Therefore, putting the fetus in the palm of your hand, it is worth weighing it. If it turns out to be actually heavier than it looks, then the fruit is definitely ripe.

Mango fruit: how to peel?

The peel of the mango is too stiff and dense, with a specific taste. These properties allow you to transport exotic fruit to anywhere in the world without fear of spoiling its presentation, but it is preferable to peel the peel and eat only the flesh. This should be done with gloves and with special care so as not to get dirty or splatter clothes.

Consider the main methods of peeling mangoes:

  1. Cut the peel with mango with a sharp knife, like an apple, pear or potato. Carefully cut the fruit along the knife to the bone, rotate to separate the pulp from the bone. Then use as directed.
  2. Cut the fruit with a knife to the bone, twisting the halves in a circle, separate them from the bone. Next, make cross-shaped incisions on the pulp without cutting through the peel. Unscrew each slice with a “hedgehog” and carefully cut the flesh over the plate with a knife.
  3. The ripe mango after separation from the seed can simply be separated from the peel with a small spoon. The juice that stands out can be either used to make various desserts or just drink it.
  4. Ripe, but not too soft fruit is peeled with a potato peeler. Then cut into small slices, which are separated from the bone with a knife. This method is suitable for cleaning fruits, which will then be used for mashed potatoes or other dishes.

How to eat mango?

Raw

The peeled mango pulp is best eaten raw, so the body will receive absolutely all the beneficial substances. Often you can find recommendations that before serving the fruit should be slightly cooled to soften the characteristic oily taste.

In the raw form, mangoes can be eaten not only cut into slices or cubes, but also crushed in mashed potatoes. This will require a blender and several minutes of extra time. This method of serving will especially appeal to children.

Mango Recipes

From it you can prepare a variety of delicious dishes and drinks.

On a hot summer day, children and adults will be delighted with mango sorbet, which will require:

  • 2 medium sized mangoes;
  • juice of one orange;
  • ½ lemon juice;
  • 120 g of sugar;
  • 50 ml of water;
  • 20 g of corn (or potato) starch.

How to cook:

  1. Turn the mango pulp into mashed potatoes and put in the refrigerator.
  2. Mix the juice of orange and lemon with sugar and bring to a boil, dissolve starch in cold water and pour it into the juice, brew the mixture until thickened.
  3. Mix the completely cooled citrus mix and mango puree, freeze the sorbet in the freezer or ice cream maker.

A variant of a hearty and tasty mango snack is a nutritious smoothie.

To cook it, you need to take:

  • 1 mango
  • 1 banana
  • 500 ml of orange juice;
  • 100 ml of natural yogurt.

Working process:

  1. Transfer the pulp of mango and banana into the blender bowl, pour juice and yogurt. Kill all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Pour the smoothie into a tall glass, add some ice and serve with a cocktail.

Mango during pregnancy and breastfeeding: yes or no?

In tropical countries, mango is also common, like apples in our countries, so for many pregnant women and nursing mothers this fruit is a common food. The beneficial substances contained in it are so harmless to the human body that mango is recommended even as a first food.

But still, if a woman did not eat this exotic fruit before pregnancy and lactation, it is worthwhile to eat it with caution, watching over the possible manifestations of allergic reactions in mother and child. If a rash or other skin reactions, critical stool changes occur, immediately exclude this product from the diet.

Is it possible to eat mango peel?

Exotic plant for our latitudes - mango is one of the distant relatives of poison ivy. This fact explains that, although in a small amount, its peel contains a toxic substance - the toxic resin urushiol. It can provoke allergic reactions and an upset digestive system, so the peel of the mango fruit is not worth it.

How to ripen a fetus at home?

Having bought an unripe mango fruit, you should not be upset, because there are several ways to get an absolutely ripe fruit in the period from 6-12 hours to 2-4 days, depending on the method chosen:

  1. In a paper package or newspaper. To ripen mango in this way you need to pack an unripe tropical fruit and a ripe apple in a paper bag or newspaper bag. Leave at room temperature for one to two days. Mango will fully ripen due to the release of ethylene from a ripe apple.
  2. In grains of rice or corn. The principle of fruit ripening is similar to the previous one, but was invented by Indian and Mexican housewives, who put unripe mangoes in a container with grains of rice and corn. The fruit can become ripe after 6 hours.
  3. In a container at room temperature. This is the most natural way, but it takes the most time — up to three to four days.

Mango oil: application in cosmetology

Juicy pulp of mango is eaten, and essential mango oil is obtained from the seeds. It refers to solid vegetable oils and at room temperature it resembles butter known to everyone. Mango seed oil does not have any pronounced aroma, and its color can be white, light yellow or cream.

Its main cosmetic application is daily care for face and body skin, as well as hair and nails. The oil is ideal for skin of any fat and age. In cosmetology, it is used as part of massage mixtures, mixed in equal proportions with face and body creams, before and after tanning products, hair balms or rubbed into nail plates.

The result of its regular use is delicate velvety skin without irritation, peeling, rash and stretch marks, as well as strong beautiful and thick hair, strong nails.

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