Region of Origin
Commodity:
Mango
Description & Origin
Mangos are a member of the cashew plant family and grow on large evergreen trees that can live up to 300 years in tropical and subtropical climates across the globe. The fruit is a drupe, like a peach or a nectarine, with succulent flesh prized for its bold flavor, sweetness, and complexity. Some varieties of mango are also enjoyed unripe, when green, sour, and very firm.
Native to ...
Other Names
Am (Hindi/Urdu), Māṅkāy (Tamil), Xoài (Vietnamese), Máng Guǒ (Mandarin), Mam̀wng (Thai), Mangue (French), Mangoro (Hausa)
Health Benefits & Nutrition
Mangos have high levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and fiber. Mangos have been an important component in traditional medicine and Ayurveda for thousands of years. The entire plant can be used to treat ailments, for example: the fruit is used as a restorative and energizing tonic, the seeds are used as an astringent, and the gum from the trunk is applied to cracks on the feet. Some Caribbean islands create a decoction from mango leaves to treat diarrhea, fever, and hypertension.
Our Varieties
Mango Ataulfo
AKA: Honey Mango, Champagne™ Mango
Description
Ataulfo mangos are petite with a limey green, smooth skin that becomes golden-yellow as they ripen (green patches may remain). Black or brown speckles are normal, and just indicate sugar content. Their flesh is golden-yellow, buttery, and not at all fibrous. The creamy flesh tastes exceptionally sweet and honey-like, thus its other name, honey mango.
Variety Tips & Tricks
Ataulfos are at their sweetest when tender and aromatic with a deep color. Some wrinkling means ataulfos are just at their peak – but act fast, as that stage doesn’t last long! Ataulfos are excellent for fresh eating, tarts, or other desserts due to their buttery smooth texture – although their small size makes them difficult to process efficiently.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Mango Francis
AKA: Haitian Mango
Description
Francis mangos have grassy green skin that gradually turns golden-yellow as they ripen. It’s normal for these mangos to have splotches of green remain when fully ripe. They may have black speckling – which simply indicates sugar content – as well as some latex staining. They’re a medium-sized mango, oblong-shaped with a distinct S-curve. The flesh of the ripe Francis is vibrant golden-orange and very juicy. This is a fibrous mango prized for its flavor, rather than texture. The flesh is rich and mouth-wateringly sweet with a strong tropical aroma and a subtle, spicy bite.
Variety Tips & Tricks
Francis mangos are recommended for juicing or smoothies, as their flavor is exceptional, but their texture is tough to eat out of hand.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Mango Green
AKA: Raw Mango, Unripe Mango, Sour Mango
Description
Green mangos are hugely important in India and Southeast Asia. They are used when underripe and still vivid green in color. At this time their flesh is still white or light-yellow and very firm-crisp. The crispy but not fibrous flesh is lightly sweet and very sour with hints of bitterness. The cultivars shipped as green mangos are usually selected for this characteristic. Most cultivars used for ripe eating are very starchy and unpleasant at this stage.
Variety Tips & Tricks
It is recommended that gloves are worn when peeling green mangos, as the skin may cause some mild irritation in those with sensitivities to poison ivy or oak. Green mangos are usually shredded or julienned for use in refreshing Southeast Asian salads or large diced for use in Indian pickles. Use caution when using a mandolin or peeler as they are very firm! Note that the pit is not yet fully formed, so most of the mango’s interior is edible.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Mango Haden
Description
Hadens are medium to large in size with a rounded oval shape and crimson red skin with green and yellow overtones. They look very similar to a Tommy Atkins mango, but they often have distinct hues of red across the skin, as well as the presence of little white dots. The flesh is yellow with a flavor that is rich, sweet, and floral. The flesh is firmer than other varieties, but still smooth and creamy.
Variety Tips & Tricks
This is a good all-purpose mango. Color doesn’t always play a role when determining ripeness, however, the green overtones of the Haden mango’s skin do usually turn more yellow as it ripens. Importantly, a ripe Haden mango will yield slightly under gentle pressure.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Mango Keitt
Description
The Keitt mango is larger than most other varieties for the Western market. It is oval-shaped with mostly green skin featuring pink-red blushing and black speckling. It does not change color as it ripens. Its flesh is yellow-orange with few fibers, making it very buttery and supple in texture when fully ripe. It has a fruity, tart, and chalky-sweet flavor with hints of honey. It has a smaller pit than other varieties, giving it an excellent flesh-to-pit ratio. The Keitt is one of the few mangos that can be enjoyed ripe and green, making it popular for Asian cuisine where it’s often enjoyed in its “raw” (or green) stage pickled.
Variety Tips & Tricks
The Keitt is widely regarded as one of the best-eating commercially available mangos available. Excellent for a wide variety of uses, from pies to ice creams to freezing, and especially eating out of hand. It does not change color as it ripens – look for fruit that yields slightly under gentle pressure.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Mango Kent
Description
Kent mangoes are a Florida cultivar that is the result of a cross between a Brooks and Haden mango. A large, round variety, the Kent is predominantly green, like the Keitt, with red-golden blush tones that increase in prominence as it ripens. They’re also notably softer than other varieties when ripe, and even tend to wrinkle slightly, like an Ataulfo. The flesh is an intense, deep golden color that is succulent, sweet, rich, and nearly fibreless.
Variety Tips & Tricks
As with most other mango varieties, the Kent mango should give slightly when squeezed gently. They’re an ideal mango for juicing and drying.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Mango Tommy Atkins
Description
Developed in Florida, the Tommy Atkins mango is the most common commercial variety found in the US due to its ability to be harvested early and withstand long shipping times. Medium to large in size with a rounded-oval shape, the Tommy Atkins has a thick, dark-red skin with deep green patches that does not change as the mango ripens. Tommy Atkins often have natural yellow-green spots (or pores) that resemble freckles. The dark yellow flesh is juicy, but somewhat fibrous, and rubbery-firm. Tommy Atkins have medium levels of sweetness and tropical notes.
Variety Tips & Tricks
Tommys are ripe when aromatic and they yield slightly under gentle pressure. They are an all-purpose utilitarian mango.
Commercial Availability (Grown for the US Market)
Foodservice Tips
Traditional Culinary Uses
Mangos are hugely popular out of hand around the world. They are also often used in Asian cuisine. Sweet mangos are used in iconic dishes like Thai sticky rice, Filipino halo halo, and Indian lassis. In India, mangos are often used in chutneys. In Latin America, sweet mangos are used to make refreshing desserts, beverages, or salsas. They freeze well and are excellent incorporated into smoothies and desserts such as sorbets or gelatos. Unripe mangos are usually pickled or julienned and used as a base for tangy Thai or Vietnamese green mango salads.
Flavor Pairings
Pork, Chicken, Prawn, Beef Jerky, Coconut Milk, Jalapeno, Lime, Chile Pepper, Salt, Ginger, Turmeric, Garlic, Onion, Curry Leaf, Methi, Cilantro, Mint, Mustard, Tamarind, Orange, Melon, Coconut, Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Saffron
How to Store & Use in the Kitchen
Handle with care to prevent bruising. If too firm, store sweet mango at room temperature so it can ripen. Typically, it will take about a week or less. To slow down the ripening process, place a whole, uncut mango in the refrigerator. Once cubed or sliced, they can be put in an air-tight container and stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen for up to six months. Green mango may be stored in the fridge.
To cut sweet mangos, a knife should be run along the sides of the thin central pit to remove the “cheeks”. The flesh can then be scooped or cut out of the skin. Green mangos may be peeled with a peeler and then grated with a mandolin into matchsticks or cut into strips.
Fight Food Waste Tips for root to stem cooking
While ripe mango skin is technically edible, it may cause some inflammation or gastrointestinal discomfort, so it’s not usually eaten. The pit of sweet mangos is too fibrous to consume and must be discarded. Unripe green mangos, though, do not yet have a fully-formed pit and almost the entire fruit can be utilized.
Warehouse Storage & Handling
Maintain these conditions for optimal short-term storage shelf life.*
IDEAL STORAGE TEMP, FIRM FRUIT & GREEN (RAW) FRUIT:
50-55°F
RECOMMENDED TEMP STORAGE ZONE, FIRM FRUIT & GREEN (RAW) FRUIT:
55-60°F (Warm Storage)
IDEAL STORAGE TEMP, RIPE FRUIT:
46-50°F
RECOMMENDED TEMP STORAGE ZONE, RIPE FRUIT:
40-55°F (Cool Storage)
SUBJECT TO CHILLING INJURY:
Yes – symptoms include pitting or gray discoloration of skin, uneven ripening, poor flavor, and flesh browning. Firm mangos are the most susceptible to CI. Do not store firm mangos below 50°F.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY:
90-95%
PRODUCES ETHYLENE:
Yes-Moderate
SENSITIVE TO ETHYLENE:
Yes-High
ETHYLENE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Exposure to ethylene may cause premature softening or ripening. Keep away from ethylene-producing fruits or ripening rooms.
RIPENS AFTER HARVEST:
Yes – mangos are harvested when mature, but not ripe. During ripening, starches will convert to sugars, flesh softens, aroma develops, and internal color deepens.
PROFESSIONAL RIPENING RECOMMENDED:
Yes – most varieties of mango will benefit greatly from professional conditioning to ensure chefs and consumers receive mangos that will be ready-to-cut on the desired schedule (Ataulfo is an exception). Conditioning reduces risk of uneven ripening and quality defects due to CI.
Quality Assessment
Mangos should be smooth skinned with vibrant color. Small white or black speckles across the fruit’s skin are normal, especially in certain varieties. Some latex staining around the stem is also normal. Avoid large black spots, severe bruising or scarring, and any decay. Color is NOT an indication of ripeness or quality and blushing does not have an effect on eating quality. Mango ripeness should ALWAYS be determined by firmness. A ripe mango gives slightly to light pressure and has a tropical aroma.
Important Handling Notes
Ataulfo and Kent varieties should always be stored above 54°F. Mangos bruise easily, handle with care.
Optimum Shelf Life
Depending on variety, conditions at harvest, and handling, mangos may last up to 1 month.