Mangoes are one of the most popular fruits in the world. Their sweet, tropical flavor and smooth, creamy texture make them irresistible. When mango season rolls around, mango lovers get excited for the arrival of fresh, ripe mangoes. This excitement surrounding mango season has led to the phenomenon known as “mango mania.” But what exactly does a mango mania entail?
An Abundance of Mangoes
The most obvious element of a mango mania is an abundance of fresh, ripe mangoes. During mango season, which varies around the world but often occurs during the spring and summer months, mango supplies surge as orchards and farms harvest their crop. Markets become flooded with crates and baskets overflowing with mangoes. With such a bounty of mangoes available, lovers of the fruit stock up, buying mangoes by the boxful to enjoy throughout the fleeting mango season.
Mango-Centric Menus
Another hallmark of a mango mania is mango-centric menus and cuisine. From breakfast through dessert, restaurants and home cooks find ways to incorporate mangoes into meals. Special mango pancake stacks, mango smoothie bowls, and mango parfaits are popular breakfast choices during a mango mania. Mangoes find their way into salsas, chutneys, salads and more for lunch and dinner. And mango flavors like ice cream, pies, cakes, puddings and other desserts satisfy sweet tooths.
Mango Drinks & Cocktails
Beverages also join in a mango mania, with restaurants and bars adding mango margaritas, daiquiris, mojitos and other cocktails featuring fresh mango to their menus. Mango lassi, a popular Indian yogurt drink made with mango, also gains popularity during mango season. And mango bubble tea, juice and smoothies provide refreshing mango flavor in cold drinks.
Mango Festivals & Events
The excitement over fresh mango season inspires festivals and events celebrating the fruit. These mango centric celebrations often feature mango eating contests, speed mango peeling challenges, mango dessert competitions, mango harvesting demonstrations, mango tastings, mango food vendors, live music, and more. Well-known mango festivals occur yearly in cities like Coral Gables, Florida and Delhi, India.
Increased Availability of Mango Products
Beyond fresh mangoes, mango mania leads to an upswing in availability of mango products like jams, chutneys, frozen mangoes, dried mangoes, mango salsa and vinaigrettes, mango sauces, mango chips and snacks, mango juices, ice creams, yogurts, candies and gummies, teas, and other goods. Companies ramp up production of mango products to meet high demand during mango season.
Mango Decor & Fashion
From mango printed clothing and accessories to mango scented home goods and mango motifs used in home decor, fashion and design join in celebrating mango mania. The vibrant tropical colors and fruity scent of mangoes lend well to fabrics, candles, soaps, and visual designs.
Why Does Mango Mania Occur?
But why does this mango craze occur in the first place? What is it about mangoes that whip people into a fruit frenzy?
Limited Availability
One of the main reasons behind mango mania is the limited availability of the fruit. Mango orchards only harvest fresh mangoes for a few months out of the year. This relatively short season, combined with the time needed for shipping fresh mangoes long distances, restricts when fresh mangoes are available in any given location. The limited opportunity to enjoy fresh mangoes adds excitement and urgency to mango season.
Highly Anticipated Flavor
In addition to limited availability, mango mania stems from the highly anticipated flavor of a perfectly ripe mango. Mango lovers eagerly await that first bite each season, craving the mango’s sweetness and tropical essence. Once mango season begins, people try to incorporate mangoes into as many foods and drinks as possible to fully indulge in their favored flavor.
Nutritional Benefits
Another aspect generating mango excitement is the nutritional profile of mangoes. Mangoes provide over 20 different vitamins and minerals, making them one of the most nutrient-dense fruits. High amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, copper and fiber make mangoes a prized component of a healthy diet. Their rich antioxidant content helps neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation. Capitalizing on mango nutrition by enjoying fresh mangoes and mango products is part of the impetus behind mango season enthusiasm.
Cultural Significance
Furthermore, in many cultures, particularly India, mangoes hold deep cultural importance and are revered as the “king of fruits.” They symbolize status, prosperity, abundance and hospitality. Mango season allows celebrations that highlight these cultural meanings and traditions involving mangoes.
Fun Marketing Campaigns
Agricultural marketing boards, mango growers associations, and supermarkets heavily promote mangoes when they come into season, launching campaigns playing up the fun, vibrant vibe of mangoes to drive sales. This strategic marketing showcasing mangoes as an exciting, sought-after fruit bolsters mango mania.
The Allure of Mangoes
In the end, mango mania comes down to the exceptional traits of mangoes themselves. Their sweet, creamy taste and juicy texture, nutritional payoffs, cultural significance, bright golden-orange hues, tropical associations, and short season all combine to create incredible demand and devotion. When mango mania hits, take part by trying mangoes in new ways, from fresh mango salsa to mango chicken salad to mango sticky rice. Enjoy mango cocktails or a simple slice of mango. Celebrate the flavors of mango season!
| Type of Mango | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Ataulfo | Small, oval, yellow; soft, creamy, very sweet |
| Francis | Oblong, large; firm, deep yellow, mildly sweet |
| Haden | Oval to round, medium; firm, aromatic, sweet and tangy |
| Keitt | Elongated oval, large; firm, green skin, sweet and fruity |
| Kent | Round, medium; juicy, sweet and tart |
| Tommy Atkins | Oval, large; firm, orange red skin, mild and sweet |
Where to Find Mangoes
When mango mania strikes, you’ll want to know the best places to find fresh, delicious mangoes to enjoy. Here are top options for sourcing mangoes:
Grocery Stores
Well-stocked grocery stores often have an expanded selection of fresh mangoes during mango season. You may find display bins heaping with mangoes up front or large mango shipments in the produce section. Many stores also carry frozen, dried, or canned mango products year-round which get restocked during mango season.
Farmers Markets
Outdoor farmers markets frequently have fresh, locally grown mangoes when in season. Vendors may even offer mango tastings. For the best selection, check for markets in areas with warmer climates where mangoes can grow.
Fruit Stands & Produce Markets
Specialty fruit markets and produce stands, especially those with tropical fruit, will stock fresh mangoes during mango season. Smaller neighborhood spots can offer great quality and fair prices.
Orchards
Visiting mango orchards allows picking ripe mangoes straight from the tree, often at economical prices since there are no shipping costs. Eating a mango right where it was grown makes for the ultimate farm-to-table experience.
Online
Various online stores provide mail order mangoes, even offering subscriptions and monthly mango box deliveries during mango season. Overnight shipping means you can enjoy mangoes from different growing regions at peak ripeness.
Mango Fun Facts
Mangoes have become so popular that mango mania takes over globally when they’re in season. Here are some interesting facts about these exotic fruits:
- Mangoes are native to South Asia but now grow in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
- India produces over 40 percent of the world’s mangoes, with 96 million tons grown per year.
- There are over 1,000 mango varieties, but only about 20 are commonly grown commercially.
- The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
- Mangoes belong to the same family as cashews and pistachios.
- The word “mango” originated from the Malayalam word “māṅṅa” and eventually spread to English.
- Mangoes were cultivated in India over 5,000 years ago and figure prominently in folklore, legends, and religious ceremonies.
- When Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama arrived in India in 1498, his crew called mangoes “fruit of the gods.”
- Mangoes require warm, generally frost-free weather year-round to grow. Trees can reach over 100 feet tall.
- The current Guinness World Record for the world’s heaviest mango is 7 pounds, 4.6 ounces.
Selecting the Best Mangoes
Choosing optimal mangoes at their peak is key for fully enjoying mango mania. Follow these tips when selecting fresh mangoes:
- Look for plumpness – Mangoes should feel heavy for their size with a rounded shape.
- Seek unblemished skin – Avoid mangoes with bruises, spots or wrinkled skin.
- Examine the stem – Fresh, ripe mangoes will have a green, fresh-looking stem.
- Check color – Skin color varies but should be deep yellow, orange-yellow, or reddish.
- Give a gentle squeeze – A ripe mango will yield slightly to pressure but not be overly soft.
- Sniff – A mango’s aroma should be sweet and fragrant when ripe.
How to Tell When Mangoes Are Ripe
Determining the ripeness of mangoes requires relying on several indicators. Here are key ways to judge if a mango is ripe and ready to eat:
- The mango feels slightly soft when gently squeezed, similar to an avocado.
- The skin color takes on yellow, orange-yellow or reddish hues.
- A ripe mango emits a sweet, fruity aroma at the stem end.
- Pressing on the skin of a ripe mango leaves a slight indentation.
- The flesh inside gives slightly when pressed and feels buttery.
- A ripe mango comes away from the skin and pit easily.
Unripe green mangoes are firm and lacking aroma while overripe mangoes feel very soft and mushy. Enjoy mangoes at their peak ripeness during mango season!
How to Ripen Mangoes Faster
Getting unripe mangoes to ripen promptly helps maximize mango enjoyment. Here are methods for ripening mangoes quickly:
- Leave mangoes at room temperature. Countertop ripening takes 4-5 days but is the easiest method.
- Place mangoes in a paper bag with a banana or apple. The gases emitted speed ripening.
- Keep mangoes together. Mangoes release ethylene gas that accelerates ripening when concentrated.
- Try a ripening bowl or Ethylene gas sachet. These tools enhance natural ethylene production.
- Warm mangoes to 65-75°F. A heated bowl or near appliances creates ideal conditions.
- Try calcium carbide powder. Though controversial, a tiny amount can ripen mangoes overnight.
Ripe mangoes can be refrigerated to slow further ripening. Allow refrigerated mangoes to sit at room temperature for a couple hours before eating for best flavor and texture.
Delicious Ways to Eat Mangoes
Sink your teeth into mango mania with endless tasty ways to eat fresh mangoes:
- On their own – Simply peel and slice mangoes to enjoy raw.
- In salsa – Dice and mix with chilies, onion, cilantro and lime juice.
- Grilled – Brush mango slices with oil and grill for caramelized flavor.
- In salads – Toss with mixed greens, chicken, avocado, nuts and vinaigrette.
- In chutney – Cook into sweet/spicy blend with ginger, cumin, garlic and mint.
- In oatmeal – Dice mango to stir into hearty bowls of oats.
- In yogurt – Puree into smoothies or fold chunks into yogurt parfaits.
- On kebabs – Thread mango chunks onto skewers with chicken or shrimp.
- In desserts – Mix into cakes, pies, ice cream, pudding and more.
- In lassi – Blend mango into the Indian yogurt drink.
With an abundance of mangoes available during mango mania, get creative and try mangoes in any meal or snack!
Conclusion
When mango mania strikes, it’s easy to see why this fruit inspires such devotion. The sweet, tropical flavor of a ripe mango, its nutritional benefits, cultural significance, versatility in recipes, and sheer seasonality make enjoying fresh mangoes an event to be savored. Track down ripe, juicy mangoes at markets and orchards and indulge in mango bliss through drinks, meals, snacks and desserts. Let the mango madness begin!
