25 Delicious Facts About Mango

Mango grows in different countries but is very popular everywhere. It is eaten not only ripe, but also unripe, and in the second case it is used as a vegetable, and not as a fruit. However, culinary experts from all over the world pay due respect to mango and prepare an incredible number of different dishes and desserts from it.

1. The main mango producer is India, which harvests 13.5 million tons of fruits annually. In Europe, this fruit is cultivated in Spain and the Canary Islands. Some varieties are also grown in South American countries.
2. While unripe mango is not very tasty, it is a valuable source of pectin. It also contains oxalic, grape, and citric acid. Moreover, in ripe mango fruits, their content is negligible.
3. Since ancient times, the mango tree in India has been considered sacred, and people believe that it can grant wishes. They say that if you hang a fresh mango on the front door during the New Year, then happiness and blessing will surely come to the house.
4. The homeland of mangoes is considered to be the rainforests of Myanmar and the Indian state of Assam, where these fruits have been grown for over 4,000 years. Moreover, in India and Pakistan, the mango tree is considered a national plant.
5. In Thailand and the Philippines, tough and unripe green mangoes are often added to various salads as a vegetable.
6. The name “mango” comes from the Tamil word “mangay”. When Portuguese traders established trading posts in western India, they adopted the name “manga”.
7. According to several sources, eating mangoes reduces the likelihood of contracting any virus and also calms the nervous system.
8. The leaves of the mango tree are poisonous and can be harmful to some animals. Burning mango wood is also not worth it, as the poisonous smoke irritates the eyes and lungs.
9. Many Asian rulers and simply noble people had their own mango groves, which were considered a sign of high social status. Hence the tradition of sending mango fruit as a gift.
10. Close relatives of mango from a botanical point of view are cashews, pistachios, Jamaican plum, and poisonous sumac.
11. In India, on some holidays, it is customary to brush your teeth not with a toothbrush and toothpaste, but with a sprig of a mango tree.
12. Mango is a low-calorie fruit. Therefore, it can be consumed by those who follow a diet. It is important to take into account that it is recommended to eat the fruit only in the first half of the day.
13. One ripe mango contains about 50% of the average adult’s daily value of fiber, which is needed for digestion and normal bowel function.
14. A mango tree can be up to 45 meters high. At the same time, young leaves on the tree will have a reddish tint, and mature ones will be dark green.
15. The peel of unripe mango fruit contains toxic substances that can cause allergies.
16. Now in the world there are about 300 varieties of mango, some of which were cultivated in Asia 4-5 thousand years ago.
17. Persian traders once spread mangoes throughout the Middle East and Africa, and from there Portuguese ships brought the fruit to Brazil. Mango reached North America in the middle of the 19th century.
18. Oil is prepared from mango seeds, which have an antiseptic effect. With its help, treat skin diseases, relieve itching from insect bites, and also get rid of muscle pain.
19. More than 20 million tons of mangoes are grown annually in the world. But mostly those that are grown either in Spain or in Ecuador and Colombia fall on the shelves of Russian stores.
20. In some Asian countries, it is customary to throw mango leaves at weddings. It is believed that this will help the newlyweds to have offspring.
21. Not all mango varieties are good for food. The fruits of a wild tree, for example, cannot be eaten – they are distinguished by a large number of tough fibers, an unpleasant taste, and smell, like turpentine.
22. In Asia, mangoes are consumed not only fresh but also dried. The fruit retains all the beneficial properties and can be stored for a long time. Chips are also made from mangoes, which are sold in all supermarkets.
23. In Russia, mangoes are not cheap. And the stone actually accounts for about a third of the total mass of the fruit.
24. The bark of the mango tree has medicinal properties. The infusion from it is used for the prevention of oncology.
25. The Indian capital Delhi hosts the Fruit Festival every year, with a focus on mangoes. The number of competitions includes such original ones as eating these fruits at speed.