Mango

In India, where mangoes are the national fruit, they are thought to help stop bleeding, to strengthen the heart, and to benefit the brain. Good Housekeeping warns that since these beans are small objects named after a foodstuff, they may represent a choking hazard to toddlers. It is also reputed that mangos soothe the intestines, which makes them easy to digest. It stands vertically for a moment, and repeats the process. People who suffer from muscle cramps, stress, and heart problems can benefit from the high potassium and magnesium content that also helps those with acidosis. In doing this, the ball rolls slightly up the other side of the Mighty Bean, causing the centre of mass to shift away from the Mighty Bean's long base, making it fall over. Because of the mangos high iron content they are suggested for treatment of anemia and are beneficial to women during pregnancy and menstruation. When a Mighty Bean is placed on a slant, instead of simply sliding down, the Mighty Bean falls on its side, and the spheroid rolls down and up the other end.

Mangoes possess the phenols quercetin, isoquercitfin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid, and methylgallat.^[9]. This pulls the centre of mass of the Mighty Bean over its tiny base, making it impossible for the Mighty Bean to fall down. Studies have shown that foods containing phenolic compounds have powerful antioxidant, anticancer, and anticardiovascular abilities. The Mighty Bean can stand up on either end because the spheroid is pulled over the centre by gravity. The enzyme list contains magneferin, katechol oxidase, and lactase. The toys are hollow and contains a small, dense spheroid inside, which is not quite as long in diameter as the inside of the mighty bean to allow for movement. These proteolytic enzymes break down proteins and are effective meat tenderizers that are regularly used in tropical countries where mangoes are grown. The Moose version of the toy was launched in 2003; similar toys have existed for years before.

Mangos also contain an enzyme with properties that are similar to papain found in papayas. These are frequently coloured with bright colours, and many of them bear cartoon likenesses of Marvel superheroes or other licensed characters. These can include vitamins A, B and C. An individual Mighty Bean is a three dimensional ovaloid with small flat circular ends on either side, rather like a large plastic capsule, approximately one inch long. The fruit flesh of a ripe mango contains about 15% sugar, up to 1% protein, and significant amounts of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Mighty Beanz are toys manufactured by Moose Enterprises, a corporation headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Demand for mangos are rising in developed countries, as consumers become increasingly aware of this tropical fruit.

Mangos are imported in significant volumes by industrialized countries as well as by developing countries. In the Middle East, Israel produces for the European Union and local markets. The amount of mango exports from these countries in 1999 was approximately 326,000 tonnes which is almost half of all the world’s mango exports. Mexico and other Latin American countries are exporting the majority of their mangos to North America.

All large mango producing countries have the vast majority of their mangos consumed domestically.^[8]. One fact is that almost all of the mango producing countries are either developing or emerging countries. India accounts for almost half of the worlds production of mangos, followed by China , Mexico and Thailand. This is because there has been an increasing demand for mangos throughout the world.

About half of all the tropical fruits produced worldwide are mangos. A combination of mango and other leaves is taken after childbirth.^[7]. In some of the islands of the Caribbean, the leaf decoction is taken as a remedy for diarrhea, fever, chest complaints, diabetes, hypertension and other illnesses. Extracts of unripe fruits and of bark, stems and leaves have shown antibiotic activity.

The fat is administered in cases of stomatitis. Mango kernel decoction and powder are used as vermifuges and as astringents in diarrhea, hemorrhages and bleeding hemorrhoids. The gum from the trunk is applied on cracks in the skin of the feet and on scabies, and is believed helpful in cases of syphilis. The bark contains mangiferine and is astringent and used against rheumatism and diphtheria in India.

Dried mango flowers serve as astringents in cases of diarrhea, chronic dysentery, catarrh of the bladder and chronic urethritis resulting from gonorrhea. ^[6]. If it is treated with a preservative it can be used as a substitute for teak. Along with many wooden items, the timber from the trees are used to make furniture, boards, ceilings, boxes, tools and tea chests.

This juice could be mixed with turmeric and lime to produce a rose pink colour which was most commonly used on cottons. When the stems of the trees were beaten, the juice that ran from the bruised stems were collected. In parts of India, tree bark was used to extract a light-colored yellow dye which was used for cotton, silk and woolen fabrics. In Hawai'i it is common to pickle green mango slices.

Vendors sell slices of peeled green mango on the streets of these countries, often served with salt. In Guatemala, Ecuador and Honduras, small, green mangoes are popular; they have a sharp, brisk flavour like a Granny Smith apple. Street vendors sometimes sell whole mangoes on a stick, dipped in the chili-salt mixture. In Mexico, sliced mango is eaten with chili powder and/or salt.

Ripe mangoes are extremely popular throughout North and South America. ^[5]. They are then soaked whole for 15 days in salted water before peeling, slicing and serving with sugar. Their sweet, nearly fiberless flesh and very commonly grown and inexpensive on the market.

In Thailand, there are green-skinned mangos of a class called "keo". Unlike citrus juice or vinegar, amchoor imparts a richer and more gentle acidity to food. Amchoor is used as a souring agent to balance the flavour of many dishes. Am is a Hindi word for Mango and amchoor is nothing but powder or extract of Mango.

Dried unripe mango used as a spice in south and southeast Asia is known as amchur (sometimes spelled amchoor). In Thailand and other South East Asian countries, sweet glutinous rice is flavoured with coconut then served with sliced mango on top as a dessert. A more traditional Indian drink is mango lassi, which is similar, but uses a mixture of yoghurt and milk as the base, and is sometimes flavoured with salt or cardamom. Pieces of fruit can be mashed and used in ice cream; they can be substituted for peaches in a peach (now mango) pie; or put in a blender with milk, a little sugar, and crushed ice for a refreshing beverage.

In Indonesia and the Philippines Immature mango leaves are cooked and eaten. Green mango may be used in the sour salad called rujak in Indonesia, and rojak in Malaysia and Singapore. In Indonesia, green mango is sold by street vendors with sugar and salt and/or chili. Mango is also used to make juices, both in ripe and unripe form.

In the Philippines, unripe mango is eaten with bagoong, a salty paste made from fermented fish or shrimp. Mangoes are widely used in chutney, which in the West is often very sweet, but in the Indian subcontinent is usually sharpened with hot chilis or limes. It is almost an essential food in Andhra families, where mango pickle production is a household activity in summer. These pickles are very spicy.

Southern India, especially the Andhra Pradesh state, is a major producer of mangoes that specialises in making a variety of mango pickles. In India, mango is often made into a pulp and sold as bars like chocolate, and unripe mango is eaten with chili powder and/or salt. To allow a mango to continue to ripen after purchase, store in a cool, dark place, but not in a refrigerator as this will slow the ripening process. A ripe mango will have an orange-yellow or reddish skin.

Although they are ethylene producers and ripen in transit, they do not have the same juiciness or flavour as the fresh fruit. However, those exported to temperate regions are, like most tropical fruit, picked under-ripe. Once mangoes are ripe they are quite juicy and can be very messy to eat. Persons showing an allergic reaction after handling a mango can usually enjoy the fruit if someone else first removes the skin.

Some people get dermatitis from touching mango peel or sap. The mango is in the same family as poison-ivy and contains urushiol, though much less than poison-ivy. Mangoes are very juicy; the sweet taste and high water content make them refreshing to eat, though somewhat messy. The texture of the flesh varies markedly between different cultivars; some have quite a soft and pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others have a firmer flesh much like that of a cantaloupe or avocado, and in some cultivars the flesh can contain fibrous material.

The taste of the fruit is very sweet, with some cultivars having a slight acidic tang. This has led to mangoes being available as a 'fair trade' item in some countries. However, many mango farmers receive a low price for their produce. The mango is a popular fruit with people around the world.

The leaves are toxic to cattle. The insects other than those indicated above are considered as less harmful to a mango crop and are placed in the category of minor pests. Of these, insects infesting the crop during flowering and fruiting periods cause more severe damage. These insects are hopper, mealy bug, inflorescence midge, fruitfly, scale insect, shoot borer, leaf webber and stone weevil.

Almost a dozen of them have been found damaging the crop to a considerable extent causing severe losses and, therefore, may be termed as major pests of mango. Over 492 species of insects, 17 species of mites and 26 species of nematodes have been reported to be attacking mango trees. These pathogens can cause several kinds of disease, and can cause heavy losses in mango production.^[4]. All the parts of the plant, such as the trunk, branch, twig, leaf, petiole, flower and fruit are attacked by a number of pathogens including fungi, bacteria and algae.

Mango crops can suffer from several diseases at all stages of its life. It travels well and has a good shelf-life, but does not have the same flavour as some less common cultivars obtained from Asian shops. About 80% of mangos in UK supermarkets are of the single cultivar 'Tommy Atkins', which dominates the world export trade. The best 'Alphonso' mangos are reputed to come from the town of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.

In India, the commonest cultivar is 'Alphonso', known as the King of Mangoes due to the popular opinion that they are the best cultivar available. In mango orchards, several cultivars are always grown intermixed to improve cross-pollination. It is easily cultivated and there are now more than 1,000 mango cultivars, ranging from the turpentine mango (from the strong taste of turpentine; some cultivars contain the same terpenes found in turpentine) to the huevos de toro ("bull's balls", from the shape and size). They should be watered regularly when they are young but when they are old they should be watered between 10 anfd 15 day intervals.^[3].

They should be planted in an area with good drainage and a slightly acidic soil. Mangos can be grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates. ^[2]. Mangos were introduced to California (Santa Barbara) in the 1880's.

Mangos also readily naturalize in tropical climates, becoming an invasive species; some lowland forests in the Hawaiian Islands are dominated by introduced mangos. The mango is reputed to be the most commonly eaten fresh fruit worldwide. Mango trees require hot, dry periods to set and produce a good crop. It is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates throughout southern Asia, North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, south and central Africa and Australia.

During more recent years, mangos have been introduced throughout the frost-free tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world, wherever the climate is suitable for its growth. This eventually led to the large fruits with thick flesh that we are most familiar with today.^[1]. Many centuries of development have produced varieties of mangos free of both fibres and unpleasant flavours. The Mughals and Portuguese selected and grew generations of mango plants.

In the early stages of domestication, the fruits were probably very small and fibrous without much flesh. When the Portuguese arrived in India in they then took it to South America, the Philippines and to West Africa. Around the tenth century AD, Persian traders took mangoes to the Middle East and East Africa. Buddhist monks were known for taking mango plants on voyages to Malaya and eastern Asia in the 4th and 5th centuries BC.

Cultivation and domestication of mangos most likely began in the Indian subcontinent, where they have been grown for more than 4000 years. Mangoes have been believed to have existed in northeast India, Myanmar and Bangladesh after fossil records were found there dating back from 25 to 30 million years. . The often leatherlike skin (and the seed) is not normally eaten.

Inside the shell, which is 1-2 mm thick, is a paper-thin lining covering a single seed, 4-7 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, 1 cm thick. In the centre of the fruit is a single flat, oblong stone that can be fibrous or hairless on the surface, depending on cultivar. When ripe, the unpeeled fruit gives off a distinctive resinous slightly sweet smell. The ripe fruit is variably coloured yellow, orange and red, reddest on the side facing the sun and yellow where shaded; green usually indicates that the fruit is not yet ripe, but this depends on the cultivar.

They are variable in size, from 10-25 cm long and 7-12 cm diameter, and may weigh up to 2.5 kg. The mango fruit is a drupe; when mature, it hangs from the tree on long stems. After the flowers finish, the fruit takes from three to six months to ripen. 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 odour suggestive of lily of the valley.

The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, 15-35 cm long and 6-16 cm broad; when young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark glossy red, then dark green as they mature. Mangos are large trees, reaching 35-40 m in height, with a crown radius of 10 m. The name of the fruit comes from the Tamil word man-kay, which was corrupted to manga by the Portuguese when they explored western India. indica is by far the most important commercially.

The mango (Mangifera spp.; Hindi: आम; plural mangos or mangoes) is a genus of about 35 species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae, native to southern and southeastern Asia from India east to the Philippines, of which the Indian Mango M. ^  National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development Mango Cultivation URL Accessed on February 7, 2006. ^  Plant Cultures History URL Accessed on February 7, 2006. ^  Plant Cultures Craft URL Accessed on February 5, 2006.