mango

This article is the fruit. For other m word, see Mango (disam biguation

Its leaves are ritually used as floral decorations at weddings and religious ceremonies, in India.Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in theflowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is indigenous to India.^[3] Cultivated in many tropical andsubtropical 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 calledsuperfruits.

Contents [hide] 1 Description 2 Cultivation and uses 2.1 Food 2.1.1 Indian and Pakistani Cuisine 2.1.2 Non-Indian cuisine 2.2 Nutrient and antioxidant properties 2.2.1 Potential for contact dermatitis 2.3 As a symbol 3 Production and consumption 4 Cultivars 5 Etymology 6 See also 7 Gallery 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links

[eMango 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 thetaproot descends to a depth of 6 metres (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 pit that can be fibrousor hairy on the surface, depending on the cultivar. Inside the pit 1–2 mm thick is a thin lining covering a single seed, 4–7 cm long, 3–4 cm wide, and 1 cm thick. The seed contains the plant embryo.

angoes account for approximately fifty percent of all tropical fruits produced worldwide. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates worldwide production of mangoes at more than 23 million tons in 2001.^[6] With 12 million tons produced annually (2002–3 data), India^[7] accounts for almost half of the world production, followed by China (3 million tons), Pakistan (2.25 million tons), Mexico (1.5 million tons) and Thailand (1.35 million tons). The aggregate production of 10 countries is responsible for roughly 80% of the entire world mango production.

Alphonso, Benishan or Benishaan (Banganpalli in Telugu and Tamil) and Kesar mango varieties are considered among the best mangoes in the Southern states whereas Dussehri and Langda varieties are most popular in the Northern states of India. Commonly exported, the Alphonso cultivar is grown exclusively in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.^{[citation needed]}. Alphonso is named after Afonso De Albuquerque who reputedly brought the drupe on his journeys to Goa.^{[citation needed]} The locals took to calling this Aphoos in Konkani and in Maharashtra the pronunciation got further corrupted to Hapoos. This variety then was taken to the Konkan region of Maharashtra and other parts of India. Andhra Pradesh and Karnatakastates in the south, Gujarat in western India, and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the north are major producers of mangoes harvested especially to make spicy mango pickles having regional differences in taste. In Pakistan the popular mangoes are the Sindhri and Chaunsa, besides other varieties like Langra, Anwar Ratoal and Malva. The Sindhri mango is primarily produced in the province of Sindh and can measure up to half a foot in length. Generally, once ripe, mangoes have an orange-yellow or reddish peel and are juicy for eating while those intended for export are often picked while under-ripe with green peels. Although producing ethylene while ripening, unripened exported mangoes do not have the same juiciness or flavor as fresh fruit.