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Mango Facts & Figures
The Mango is one of the finest and most popular tropical fruits and has been cultivated in India since 2000 BC or earlier.
The Portuguese introduced the Mango to a wider audience in the 16th century taking the fruit to Africa from Southern India. It reached Brazil and the W. Indies in the 18th century and Mexico and Florida in the 19th Century. India remains the World's largest producer.
There are over 400 varieties of Mango throughout the world.
The two most widely available varieties of Mango in the UK are 'Kent' - a green fruit with a red blush and a rich, sweet flavour and 'Keitt' - a green Mango with a non fibrous flesh and a mild, sweet flavour.
Over 20 million tons of mangoes are grown in the tropics and sub tropics.
Top Mango exporters are India, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, Israel, South Africa and Peru.
In the UK, mangoes outsell fresh pineapples on a weekly basis. We buy £22 million worth of mangoes per year.
The Mango is a member of the cashew family of flowering plants; other species include the pistachio tree and poison ivy.
Mangoes can range from 2 - 10 inches in length.
To choose a Mango gently squeeze the 'nose' of the fruit, if there is slight give then the mango is ripe. Colour is not the best indicator of ripeness.
A Mango stored at 55ºF will last for up to two weeks. Do not refrigerate.
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