Impressive Mango!!

So small and so good!! Cultivated for millennia, mangoes (Mangifera indica) are believed to be native to some place between Southeast Asia and India.

Mangoes have a large seed surrounded by luscious, golden flesh and thick skin.  Reportedly, there are more distinctive mango varieties than countries in the tropics.

Although high in sugar, mangoes have very few calories and are packed with fiber and nutrients such as:

Vitamin A ∙ vitamin B5 ∙ vitamin B6 ∙ vitamin C ∙ vitamin E ∙ vitamin K ∙ niacin ∙ copper ∙ folate ∙ potassium  ∙ niacin ∙ riboflavin ∙ potassium ∙ manganese ∙ thiamine ∙ magnesium ∙ calcium ∙ selenium ∙ iron ∙ phosphorous ∙ pantothenic acid ∙

Among its many antioxidants we find:

Polyphenols ∙ mangiferin ∙ catechins ∙ anthocyanins ∙ quercetin ∙ kaempferol ∙ rhamnetin  ∙benzoic acid

Mangoes are used to treat the following conditions:

Child insomnia ∙ weak immune system ∙ some cancers ∙ diabetes ∙ growth ∙ infections ∙ heart ∙ inflammation ∙ oxidative stress ∙ digestive health ∙ hair ∙ skin ∙ eye health ∙ cholesterol ∙

Mangoes are so good that you may eat them green or ripe, but be aware they have latex (which could irritate the skin or cause an allergic reactions), so wash them carefully if you are cutting them fresh from the tree.   As with any other fruit, if this is the first time you are eating them, try a small piece first and wait a prudent amount of time before ingesting more.

Here are some ways to eat your mango:

• Green mangoes: Peel them, cut them open and put away the seed; cut the flesh in small squares and add lime juice, add salt and enjoy!  In some Latin American countries, they add dried, powdered chili pepper… delicious!!!
• Green mangoes make a delicious apple pie
• Add ripe mangoes to your fruit salad
• Ripe mangoes, spinach, red onions and Parmesan cheese, make a nutritious and tasty summer salad
• Cook ripe mangoes in water, sugar and add a stick of cinnamon, bring them to a boil and let the water reduce to a syrupy consistency, your house will filled with the aroma
• Ripe mango without anything else but itself. Cut both sides, make vertical and horizontal incisions to form squares with the flesh, eat with a spoon
• Add to your quinoa salad
• Add to your salsa
• Make a smoothie, with water or milk
• Freeze big chunks and then cover with chocolate

Because of its sugar content, experts recommend no more than two cups of mango chunks a day.

Photography by:  Avinash Kumar and Brigitte Tohm @ Unsplash