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There are hundreds of known mango varieties. Some are creamy and sweet, some a bit hot, some like pineapple and some of which are just a bit bland. Sadly, it's the latter that are usually found on supermarket shelves. Mangoes originate in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. Unfortunately, I have never been to Asia and have not been lucky enough to try mangoes 🥭 there. However, I have tasted Alphonso and Kesar mangoes in the UK. I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say it was a life-changing experience to discover their custardy and tang flavour, but also sweet, almost like if an apricot meets a pineapple.
I thought I knew what a mango tasted like, but I was wrong! I didn't grow up eating mangoes in my home country, Chile. Santiago is too cold to provide the tropical conditions mangoes need to thrive. The first time I tasted a mango was in Brazil, a variety named Ataulfo. I instantly became obsessed, and during that trip, most of my breakfasts consisted of fresh juicy mangoes leaving my hands and arms covered in mango juice. Later, I discovered Peruvian mangoes, which tend to have a smaller pit and are less fibrous than the ones I had tried before, a variety called Edward. However, none of these varieties compare to the Indian Alphonso mango I tried in the UK.
After trying life-changing Alphonso mangoes in the UK I wondered, why are we not eating these delicious Indian varieties in Latin America?
Mango mania travels south
Because of mango’s large centre seed, they rely on humans to transport them across the world. While the Portuguese explorers introduced mangoes to Brazil in the 16th century, Persians carried mangoes across western Asia and planted seeds in East Africa. Mangoes were not grown in the United States until the 1800s. Today, despite being grown on almost all continents, India remains the top producer of mangoes worldwide, accounting for 50% of the world’s mango production; of every ten mangoes in the world, four are produced in India.1
India is too far from Latin America, so, for some, it doesn’t make sense to import such a fragile fruit that can also be cultivated in this region. Mangoes have a very short season and to eat them at their best they would have to be airlifted from India, hugely adding to their cost and their carbon footprint. In some regions, mango importing has been restricted due to issues regarding potential pests. Gastropod’s podcast Mango Mania episode goes deep into why Indian mangoes were banned by the US. They were concerned about pests hitching rides on Indian mangoes and damaging local crops. After years of India-US negotiations, and president George W. Bush himself raving about the taste of an Alphonso mango, a trade deal was agreed between countries. India allowed the import of Harley-Davidson motorbikes from the US, which were previously banned due to strict emission laws, in exchange for the import of Alphonso mangoes to the US. On April 27, 2007, the first shipment of 150 boxes of Indian mangoes arrived in New York in what The New York Times described as “probably the most eagerly anticipated fruit delivery ever.” But the mango mania everyone was hoping for didn’t happen as anticipated. Importing mangoes to the US took too long, they had to be sprayed, ripened too fast and it was more convenient to purchase other mango varieties directly from Latin America (but not as delicious as Alphonso!). The majority of mangoes in the US are Tommy Atkins. This variety is so bland that you can’t even distinguish if you are having a tasteless apple or a mango.
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Indian mangoes have no competitors. Currently, around 650 hybrid mangoes are cultivated in the Tropical Fruit at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, in Florida, US, aiming to replicate the Indian Alphonso and Kesar mangoes. However, according to Noris Ledesma, hybridizing a local Alphonso has proven way more difficult than expected.
“If you take Alphonso from the homeland, it’s not happy almost anywhere. It’s super sensitive. It has to have the right breeze from the Indian Ocean, the rocky red soil, and the touch of the local farmer.”2
Sadly, it looks like, in the Americas, getting hold of an Alphonso mango will remain a difficult task. Despite the absence, of Alphonso mangoes in Latin America, we still have promising local varieties that are worth a try. The Colombian, Brazilian and Peruvian mangoes I have tasted are also delicious in their own way. They have a place in my heart and I keep fond memories of chilled sweet mangoes with a splash of lime and some powder chilli on top.
Under a mango forest in the Caribbean
The 19th-century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib once said that every mango carries the name of the person destined to eat it. As I walk in a mango forest I think of the poets’ words and decide that I am destined to be here and eat all the mangoes. This forest is in Curaçao, a small island in the Caribbean, near Venezuela. There we explored a newly opened park called Hofi Mango ("Hofi" means garden in Papiamento, Curaçao’s language), which boasts a century-old mango forest and a cane sugar mill.
It was my first time in a mango forest, and I was captivated by the scene. The trees were full of green small mangoes, and a few had fallen to the ground. Regardless of being out of the season, the forest had a sweet, mango custard scent, and the twisted roots of the trees made me feel like I was in Jurassic Park. I was amazed by the height of the mango trees, which soared about 20 meters into the air. Standing under the towering mango trees, we felt a profound sense of peace and gratitude for the opportunity to be there.
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Mango and lime sorbet
Each mango is different, making it challenging to generalize recipes. However, this mango and lime sorbet recipe can be made with any variety of mango. Last week, Nicola Lamb shared the ultimate guide for cooking with mangoes in her Substack newsletter, including tips on choosing and storing them, along with a plethora of sweet recipes.
This week’s recipe is quick to prepare and it doesn't require overnight maturation if you keep the mangoes in the fridge. The sorbet is creamy and almost sings in your mouth, leaving the kitchen with a beautiful scent (and some sticky cupboards).
Most ice creams and sorbet benefit from maturing the mix, this means resting the mix overnight to intensify flavours. However, if you keep your mangoes and limes in the fridge you can churn it straight away. This recipe also works for making ice lollies.
I highly recommend while making the sorbet to listen to these songs: Mango Mangué by Celia Cruz, Mango by Jacana Jacana and In Between Dreams album by Jack Johnson which was recorded in Mango Tree Studios.
Mango and lime sorbet recipe
Ingredients
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