Mango

Man, I LOVE mangoes! They are one of the best fruits in the world! I think the forbidden fruit that Eve ate was a mango. After taking one bite out of that juicy mango, she couldn't stop eating it even if she realized she was sinning by eating it!


When mangoes aren't ripe, they are truly bitter! But that's the case with any fruit. However, once they are ripe, watch out! Their flesh is soooo juicy that you would need to eat them over a sink -- otherwise, you'll get juice all over your floor!


The word "mango" perhaps came from a Tamil word (a language spoken in South India and Sri Lanka). Mangoes are believed to have originated in Indian, especially since ancient Hindu manuscripts dating about 4,000 years mentioned mangoes. Buddha was believed to have mediated under a mango!


India is also the world's largest producer of mangoes, and they have the perfect climate for mangoes. Since mangoes are tropical fruit, they do their best in hot climates. In the United States, only Florida, California, and Hawaii grow mangoes.


Behind India, China is the second largest mango producer in the world, followed by Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, and Bangladesh.


One of the cool things about mangoes is that they are easy to grow! After eating the flesh away, you'll find a large hard thing that looks like a seed. This hard piece isn't the seed, but a "pit." You need to crack that pit open to get to the actual seed, which is a small, ugly-looking thing. 


Once you get the seed out, you could plant it in dirt, obviously. Or you could put the seed in a wet MaxiPad! Yep, I've done this and within a week, the seed started to sprout. I then put the seed in dirt so it could grow into a plant. But since I'm not in a climate that's ideal for growing mangoes (we're in North Carolina, U.S.A.), that mango plant didn't last for long! But if you're in a hot place like the Southeast or Southwest U.S.A, you could grow mangoes if you're willing to wait 4 to 6 years for fruit to come out.


Since mangoes have a deep orange color, they are HIGH in beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. 


Eating a mango is a pleasant experience -- but it could also be an annoying one as the pit is "hairy." Those little hairs could get stuck in your teeth if you're biting right into a mango. So, perhaps the best way to eat them is by peeling off the thick skin first and then cutting the flesh away with a knife.

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