Good News for Mango Lovers
While I took Genevieve and my beloved iPod for a walk yesterday, I was listening to To the Best of Our Knowledge. The final segment of the show was an interview with Madhur Jaffrey, author of Climbing the Mango Tree: A Memoir of a Childhood in India. I haven’t heard of Ms. Jaffrey before, but she is considered the “Julia Child of India”, and she is also an accomplished actress. In her memoir, and in the interview I was listening to, she talks about growing up as part of a huge extended family, where there were often 40 people at dinner time, and how she never even knew that her grandmother was a vegetarian, because her place at the table was so far away, she never saw what her grandmother was eating. Another recollection she had was of the family’s mango orchard, and how they loved all of the different varieties of mangoes. I never knew this, but apparently, there are hundreds of varieties of mango…she said as many varieties of mango in India as there are varieties of cheese in the United States. Who knew? The mangoes in the United States have been bred to have fiber in them, which helps them to survive the shipping process. The mangoes in India have been bred to NOT have fiber in them, which means better texture and flavor. An interesting tidbit that came from this interview, though, was that the nuclear deal that was just signed with the United States, allowing nuclear fuel and information to be shipped from the United States to India, contains an interesting bit of pork: It will allow many varieties of Indian mangoes to be imported into the United States. Who knew? So, if Congress signs the deal, and assuming the mangoes can stand up to being shipped such a long distance, we may soon see many more varieties of mangoes in our grocery stores. I know a couple of folks around here who will be very happy to taste test some of these. 😉 (I’m not such a mango lover, but Ted and Maya both love a good one.)
14 Comments
Beenzzz
I have heard of Maddhur Jaffrey. I can’t remember where though. I too love mangoes. I live for mangoes!!!!
Ml
I’ve heard of her because I used to watch the Food Network and she was one of the guest chefs. Pretty interesting lady. Hope the mangoes come to pass! YUM!
Shelliza
Interesting. I used to like mangoes, until I moved to N. America. I can’t get accustomed to eating the mangoes here. It’s a totally different taste from the ones you pick from the tree.
Py Korry
I had no idea that there were that many different mangoes out there. We’ve tried the champagne ones and those are good, but mostly we get the usual green/red ones.
Maybe when Beenzzz goes to India, she can blog on the different mangoes available there. 🙂
J
Excellent idea, PY! Beenzzz, remember to taste as many different kinds of mangoes as you can, without giving yourself a case of the runs! 🙂
Maya's Granny
I love a good mango. And, I don’t remember the ones in Puerto Rico having all of this fiber, either.
Cherry
Yummy Mangos!
I didn’t touch a mango until I was in my 20’s because my mother is VERY allergic. Thankfully I’m able to enjoy their wonderfullness.
I must ask Eric about all of these varieties of mangos. Maybe he knows people that have access to the non-US variety.
Heidi
YES! I think you know I’m a freak for Target’s Mango Smoothies.
starshine
eSuitor and I are both huge mango fans! We both have a sweet tooth, and agree that mango is like candy in fruit form. I have noticed two or three different varieties of mango in the grocery store, but I had no idea there were hundreds. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be an afficionada of mangoes? Mmmm.
hellomelissa
i go gaga over a good mango. a zillion different varieties would make me like a kid in a candy store.
CG
We had a good many varieties on our estate in Guyana. The best eating ones are called Buxton Spice. The type we get here from Mexico are not very good most of the time. I call them forced ripe, which means they were green like bananas when picked so there isn’t much flavor in them by the time they get to the U.S. Mangoes have to get ripe on the trees with lots of nice sunshine to be really sweet. I know why you don’t like it J, because they are just too blah.
la luna
Oh goodie goodie. Mangos of many varities, can hardly wait…Move over Ted and Maya…
Heather
Oooo… I love, love, LOVE mangoes! That’s interesting about the fibre – I noticed in Africa that they have less fibre there, but hadn’t realized why.
Lotus
Great post, J and I appreciate the NPR alert because I just procured myself a copy of Madhur Jaffery’s memoir. And the news about the mangoes is EXCITING, I am sick of having to pay the local Indian store big $$$ for the privilege of eating Indian mangoes. It will be so great to see them in mainstream food shops!