SaladsMango and Mellow
VISITORS to most of the tropical and subtropical regions of earth are likely to encounter that mild and mellow fruitthe mango. Have you ever eaten it? It is not likely if you have not visited a land where it is grown, for it is not too suitable for export purposes. But to give you an idea how it impresses the taste budsit has been described as a combination of peach, apricot, pineapple and strawberry.
On your first sampling of this kidney-shaped, golden fruit, you may not quite agree. In fact, some persons on first tasting it have been known to say, Ugh! This tastes like turpentine! Since it is an aromatic fruit, the aroma, when extremely strong, reminds one of turpentine. But spinach, Russian caviar and French champagne do not always commend themselves at the first trial. One has to cultivate a taste for them.
Since the mango is so mild and mellow, a number of expressions have come into common use, expressions that feature the mango. For example, What a mango! means What a beauty! Or, Dont cry; suck on your mango! suggests something more pleasant that aids one to forget his troubles.
This delectable fruit grows on trees, beautiful trees, thick, dark green and attaining a height of 40 to 50 feet. Some have been known to reach 90 feet. Grafted mango trees may bear fruit after two or three years; it takes five years for a newly planted tree. The first crop may yield only about 150 mangoes, but when the tree reaches its peak it may bear as many as 5,000 or even more. For best results the trees are spaced some 60 feet from each other. The slender, dark-green leaves may measure as long as 12 inches. The blossoms take the form of tiny pink flowers that grow in small clusters at the ends of the branches.
There are many varieties of mangoes. In fact, there are so many that in India alone some 500 varieties have been described. They vary in size from that of an ordinary apple to a fruit that may weigh as much as three pounds. Too, they vary in color. The fruit is covered by a thin leathery skin. There is a large, flat seed almost as long as the fruit itself, enclosed in a thick husk. Some like to roast the mango seeds and eat them. The flesh of the mango may vary as to consistency. In the poorer quality it will be found that many tough fibers grow into the pulp. The better quality fruit can be eaten with a spoon, it is so tender.
Mexico is a land blessed with numerous delicious fruits. Its large markets feature hundreds of fruit stands offering pineapples, apricots, peaches, apples, grapes, watermelons, cantaloupes, pears, grapefruits, mammees, sapotes, oranges, tangerines, bananas, figs, and a great variety of berries. Yet, when the Manila mango is at its best, from May to August, the entire market sparkles with its golden color.