Origin and appearance of mango
In large stores and markets, consumers have repeatedly encountered mangoes, different in color and country of origin, but similar in taste and fruit shape. Mango grows on trees and rocky soils (India, Mexico, Spain). Some varieties grow on streamlined bushes, sandstones (Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan) or salt marshes (Israel). The fruit is usually oval, medium in size, the stone is large, oblong and flat. The pulp is fibrous, yellow, orange or whitish in color, juicy, with a bright, unique taste. Skin color can range from deep green to white, yellow, or red. Usually red mango, Spanish, finer and slightly sour in taste. White mango, Thai, is more watery, coarse and juicy, while green, Pakistani, has a thick skin. The degree of ripeness can be determined by how easily the stalk is removed, and how rich the specific smell comes from the fracture site. Long-term storage of plucked fruits is contraindicated, because, unlike bananas, tomatoes or apples, mangoes cannot ripen. They soften, prey and lose all useful qualities. This is due to the presence of carotene in the composition and a significant proportion of useful sugar. Even in ancient times, the healers of India have identified the beneficial properties of mango. In Pakistan, to this day, the fruit is perceived primarily as a natural medicine, and only then as a delicacy.
The benefits of mango
If we talk about properties useful for the human body, then, first of all, we should mention the extremely low calorie content - 65 kcal. Surely this will be appreciated by people who reduce calorie intake. Most of the energy value of the product comes from carbohydrates - 94%, or 15.2 grams per 100 grams. Then the question arises, why is mango considered a dietary product with so much sugar? Because numerous sugars are complex carbohydrates of natural origin - sucrose, sedoheptulose, xylose, glucose, maltose, fructose, mannoheptulose. Fat accounts for about 3%, or 0.27 grams per 100 grams. This is a really small amount, so the fruit is indicated for those who wish to lose weight or normalize metabolism. As with most plant foods, mango has very little protein - about 3-4%, or 0.51 grams per 100 grams. Therefore, the fruit is easy to digest, which is also facilitated by the high content of fiber in it.
Mango is the richest source of vitamins, in particular, it contains five times more carotene than orange fruits, and three times more vitamin C than orange fruits. In addition, thanks to the group of B vitamins, people who consume fruits are less likely to complain of poor skin condition (a tendency to clogged pores, acne and irritation) and fragility, nails, hair and bones in general. A large number of minerals (selenium, copper, manganese, zinc, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium) and iron put mango on a par with apple and pomegranate. Amino acids are found in the composition of mango, which the human body is not able to produce on its own, but which it constantly needs to ensure normal and stable life. A unique feature of the mango is its ability to effectively fight cancer cells in the nascent stage or in progressive growth. In order to get the maximum benefit, you need to slowly and thoroughly chew the pieces of the fruit and keep the resulting gruel in your mouth for a longer time. In India, mango preparations are used very successfully for hormonal disorders, reproductive disorders and ailments associated with the genitourinary sphere of an infectious nature. The combination of vitamins A, C and B strengthens the immune system, reduces the overall viral background, and also promotes tissue rejuvenation, since it prevents cellular oxidation.
In Asia, unripe fruits, together with peppers and bee products, are used to cure plague and cholera. Eating fresh mango regularly is believed to help with insomnia, the effects of stress, mental fatigue and depression. Also, the fruits are absolutely irreplaceable for poor eyesight, especially with myopia, astigmatism and "night blindness", and they also improve blood clotting and stop bleeding. In terms of gastrointestinal ailments, mango, in combination with salt and honey, eliminates stagnation in the form of constipation, regulates peristalsis, stops diarrhea and neutralizes the harmful effects of dysentery in the form of dehydration. In the form of unfiltered mango juice, it relieves exacerbation of dermatitis and allergic rashes. The benefits are hidden not only in the fruits, but in the leaves and seeds. Strong decoctions of leaves strengthen the heart, blood vessels, pancreas. Lotions of warm broth fight varicose veins and frequent subcutaneous hemorrhages.
Contraindications to the use of mango
Any medicine has the ability to turn into poison if consumed without measure or in excess. The extremely healthy mango can be harmful if you don't take some precautions. Eating too much of the ripe fruit can lead to a clogged stomach and intestinal blockage. If you taste the same amount of unripe mango, then, of course, colic and irritation of the mucous membranes will follow. The peel of the fruit is harmful to allergy sufferers and asthmatics, it must be peeled off (preferably with medical gloves).
India is considered the birthplace of mango, where for more than 4 thousand years this tropical fruit has been a favorite dish of both nobility and commoners. No wonder one of the most famous rulers of the dynasty of the great Mughals, Jalal ad-din Akbar, became famous not only as a wise politician who expanded the borders of the empire, but also as a far-sighted business executive who ordered to lay out a garden of one hundred thousand mango trees on the Ganges plain.
Now mango is perhaps the most widespread fruit crop in tropical latitudes, from where this aromatic fruit is exported to other regions.
In Europe, which recognized the mango thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great, this fruit has always been considered a delicacy. Its juicy pulp, as a rule, is very sweet, it can have various flavors - pine-peach, banana-lemon, melon, but it always contains a coniferous note unusual for other exotic fruits. In the center of the mango fruit, which usually weighs between 180 g and 1 kg, there is a large lamellar stone, shaped like a pistachio. And this similarity is not accidental, because mango and pistachio are "relatives" belonging to the sumach family.
general characteristics
The most common tropical plant. In India, mango occupies an area of 877 thousand hectares, or 70% of the total area of orchards, the collection of fruits per year is more than 2 million tons.
The timing of flowering and ripening depends on the botanical variety and growing areas. ... For example, in India, flowering occurs from February to April, and the fruits ripen from May to June.
Mango is a vigorous (10-30 m), durable (100 years or more) and evergreen plant. The frequency of fruiting is observed. The average fruit weight is 0.2-0.4 kg, large fruits weigh up to 4 kg. The shape of the fruit is oblong-rounded, slightly compressed from the sides. Skin color is green, orange-yellow when ripe. The skin is smooth, shiny, firm. The pulp is yellow or orange in color, contains one large flat seed, covered with a very large fibrous sheath. The taste of the fruit is pleasant, sweet and sour, reminiscent of the taste of peaches, but with a peculiar coniferous aftertaste, the aroma is strong and pleasant.
In addition to India, industrial mango culture is spread throughout Vietnam, Burma, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, North Africa (Egypt and Madagascar), Brazil, Mexico, Florida and Hawaii.
In India there are over 150, in Indonesia - over 90 botanical varieties of mangoes.
The most common varieties are: Alfonso, Mulgoba, Irvan, Sandersha, Kent, Haden, Gadong. The king of Indian mangoes - Alfonso and Bombay - is distinguished by its large fruit size with a very juicy, aromatic, excellent sweet taste and no specific aftertaste pulp.
Storage: in a tropical climate (at a temperature of 23-25 C) mango fruits last no more than 5 days. At a temperature of 10 C they can be stored (without deterioration in quality) for 21 days, and at a temperature of 5 C - up to one month.
When stored for a long time in a room with a temperature of less than 5 C, mango fruits wilt, become wrinkled, their acidity increases, and the sugar content decreases.
Benefits and delicacies in one fruit
The value of mango lies not only in its excellent taste, but also in the huge amount of nutrients contained in this fruit. Mango has wonderful properties of "rejuvenating apples" from Russian folk tales. The fact is that it contains a group of unique enzymes that stimulate the formation of collagen and elastin fibers, which increase skin elasticity, increase its hydrophilicity and prevent the formation of fine mimic wrinkles. Naturally, women around the world include fresh mangoes in their diets. And experts say that the "smoothing" effect of such a diet is noticeable within three months after its start.
However, a strong half of humanity also has reasons for being anxious about this fruit. Already in the Middle Ages, this fruit was considered one of the most powerful sexual stimulants... Its "potential" fame has survived to this day: preparing for a stormy night, many Asian men drink 2-3 liters of mango juice a day.
Crushed mango pulp has been considered indispensable since ancient times. herpes remedy: Fruit gruel heals the sore in a few days. Only recently have scientists found an explanation for this amazing fact. It turns out that mango contains the antiviral substance mangiferin, which is especially effective against the herpes virus.
100 g mango contains approximately:
Energy value: 70 kJ / 20 kcal
Proteins: 0.51 g
Fat: 0.27 g
Carbohydrates
Sugar: 14.8 g
Fiber: 1.8 g
Vitamins and minerals(in% of the recommended daily allowance)
Thiamin (B1): 0.058 mg (4%)
Riboflavin (B2): 0.057 mg (4%)
Niacin (B3): 0.584 mg (4%)
Pantothenic acid (B5): 0.160 mg (3%)
Vitamin B6: 0.134 mg (10%)
Folic acid ((B9): 14 mcg (4%)
Vitamin C: 27.7 mg (46% DV)
Calcium: 10 mg (1%)
Iron: 0.13 mg (1%)
Magnesium: 9 mg (2%)
Phosphorus: 11 mg (2%)
Potassium: 156 mg (3% DV)
Zinc: 0.04 mg (0%)
The use of mango in cooking
Usually, mangoes are eaten raw, separately from other fruits. It has a refreshing taste, especially after hot and spicy food. You can make a filling for pies from mango, add this fruit to spicy and fruit salads, milkshakes, make soufflé from mango pulp, and also curry sauces for fish. The light, sophisticated taste of mango goes well with seafood, especially squid and shrimp. Mangoes make great jams and jellies. The fruit can be canned, spices and oil can be made, like from an avocado.
Unripe mango fruit good in salads, they are served as a side dish for meat and fish dishes. They are used to prepare a spicy chutney seasoning, which is seasoned with fried meat or poultry. Mango is also found in hot curry sauce.
Mangoes can be baked separately (like apples) or with meat, stewed with other fruits, or frozen. Juice with pulp from ripe mango fruits is an excellent addition to ice cream, to various cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
Avocado and mango salad
Required products:
avocado - 1 pc.
mango - 1 pc.
peeled chopped pistachios - 80 g
pomegranate - 1/2 cup
pomegranate syrup - 1/2 cup
lemon juice - 4 tbsp. spoons
water - 1/2 cup
starch - 1 tbsp. the spoon
sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons
cognac or rum - 1 tbsp. the spoon
Recipe preparation method:
Pitted avocado and mango, peel, cut into slices and place on a platter. Drizzle over the avocado slices with some of the lemon juice.
For the pomegranate sauce, remove the grains. Leave a few grains for decoration, combine the rest with pomegranate syrup, the remaining lemon juice and sugar, bring to a boil, pour in the starch diluted with water and bring to a boil again. Cool the sauce by closing the lid and pour in the cognac or rum.
Pour the sauce over the fruit slices, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pistachios.
Mango is rightfully called the head of Asian fruits. Ripe fruit tastes great and at the same time it is rich in vitamins, minerals, micro- and macroelements. Mangoes can vary in shape, size, color and flavor. In total, there are more than half a thousand varieties of fruit in the world. However, this is far from all about mango. In this article, we will reveal the most about mangoes.
Mango history
It is believed that mango originated more than 4,000 years ago. He was planted by the multi-armed god Shiva. According to the legend, the Indian deity, together with his wife, descended from the Himalayan peaks. On the way, they dropped the fruit, which they took with them. The wife of God, Parvati, asked him to use magic to plant him on Earth so that it would bear fruit.
The size of the giant fruit is 30 centimeters in length. The owner of the tree does not sell the fruit, but distributes it to friends.
Some more interesting facts about mango
As strange as it may sound, from a botanical point of view, cashew nuts, pistachios, Jamaican plums and even poisonous sumac are relatives of mango.
Not all fruits are good for food. The fruits of the wild tree are not edible. The fruit is rich in fiber. about mango is that the taste and wild mango resembles turpentine. True, it is not specified who decided to taste turpentine in order to compare it with the fruit.
In the late 70s of the last century, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan presented a package of ripe mangoes to Mao Zedong. Subsequently, Mao sent the fruits to the workers, who were supposed to overcome the enmity with two warring student gangs of "red guards."
The staff saw the outlandish fruits for the first time and simply did not know what to do with them. As a result, people did not eat mangoes, but tried in every possible way to preserve them. When the fruit began to spoil, they made a kind of stew for the employees.
Mao's gift contributed to the emergence of the mango cult in China. The inhabitants of the country tried to reflect this in clothes, interior items and other goods.
In Asia, mangoes are consumed not only fresh, but also dried. The fruit retains all the beneficial properties and can be stored for a long time. Also made from mango. Dried fruits can be purchased at numerous retail outlets. Tourists love them very much.
When buying a mango, it is important to know that there is a seed inside, which makes up almost 30% of the total weight of the fruit. In ripe fruit, the pulp separates easily. It is quite problematic to separate the green mango pulp from the stone.
Systematics. The genus Mangifera, the Anacardiaceae family, includes more than 40 species, but only one is widespread in the culture - Mango indian(Mangifera indica L).
Origin and distribution. This species arose as a result of interspecific hybridization in eastern India, Myanmar and Malaysia. The mango culture was introduced over 4 millennia ago.
Mango is rightfully called the king of Indian fruits. Back in the 16th century. Emperor Akbar laid a garden of 100 thousand trees, and now mangoes occupy 600 thousand hectares, that is, about 70% of the total area under gardens in India (excluding the coconut palm). Mango is also the leading fruit crop in Pakistan. Mangoes have been cultivated on a large scale in the countries of Southeast Asia for many centuries. Accurate accounting of the area under mango and harvesting of fruits in most countries is absent, and it is difficult to count the millions of individual trees in peasant farms, city yards, along roads.
In Africa, mango was originally introduced on about. Zanzibar, the east coast of the mainland and spread inland. It was brought to the western coast, apparently, in the 16th century. Portuguese. The largest areas of mango are in the countries of the Gulf of Guinea, along the coast of the Indian Ocean and in the basin of the river. Congo. The areas underneath in North Africa are expanding rapidly. The proximity of European markets makes it possible to count on the successful export of fresh mangoes to Europe.
Mangoes were brought to America by the Spaniards in the 16th - 17th centuries. predominantly from the Philippines and is cultivated from Mexico in the north to southern Brazil. Large areas of mangoes are found on the islands of the Caribbean.
Nowadays, mango is one of the most common fruit crops in the tropics and partly in the subtropics of Asia, Africa and America. According to FAO, the world mango production in 1988 amounted to 15 million tons. The leading countries for the production of mango: India (9.45 million tons), Pakistan, Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, China.
Using. Mango fruits are used for making juices, compotes, marmalades, mashed potatoes, seasonings, etc. They contain(in%): water - 86.1, proteins - 0.6, fats - 0.1, sugars - 12 with a predominance of sucrose, organic acids - 0.1-0.8, ash - 0.3, vitamin C - 13 mg / 100 g, carotene 3.1 mg / 100 g, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.
Description of the plant. Mango is one of the most vigorous and durable fruit species. Height trees usually 10-15m with the same diameter of the spherical crown. In India, there are trees with a height of about 30 m, which are more than 200 years old. Mango trees, obtained by vegetative means, do not reach this size and age.
Trees evergreen, but the growth of shoots occurs only in the so-called growth waves, or flushes. The rhythm of growth processes also affects the frequency of flowering. Some varieties bloom 3-4 times a year, others once. In some subequatorial regions bloom in some varieties it is observed throughout the year (South India).
Flowers in mangoes, they are collected in inflorescences, each of which has from 200 to 4000 flowers. The flowers are of two types - bisexual and male. Bisexual flowers are from 1 to 36% in different varieties.
One of the reasons for poor fruit set is the very short period of stigma susceptibility; it only lasts a few hours. Fruits do not set well in rainy weather, which prevents pollinating insects from flying and contributes to the damage to flowers by fungal diseases; of these, anthracnose is the main danger. The mango is mainly a cross-pollinated plant, although self-fertile varieties are also available. However, even self-fertile varieties increase the yield when pollinated with another variety. The fall of fruits in the process of their growth and ripening is considered by experts to be a consequence of self-pollination.
The coefficient of useful ovary in mango is less than 1%, therefore 1 or 2 fruits ripen on one inflorescence. Some of the inflorescences do not yield. A good harvest occurs mainly after 1, sometimes after 2, 3 or 4 years. The frequency of fruiting is due to the fact that in the year of a high harvest, fruit buds are not laid and the next year the mango does not have flowering and fruiting.
Root system mango is located deeply - up to 6-8 m, the suction roots are located more superficially - up to 0.5-1.25 m. Excavations of 18-year-old trees have shown that the diameter of the spread of horizontal roots reached 18 m. Fruit-bearing trees often develop 2 tiers of roots: the upper one - in the soil layer up to 80 cm and the lower one - at a depth of 3-4 m, near groundwater. In some areas where the dry season reaches 4-5 months, mangoes are the only fruit crop that can grow without irrigation. In general, mango is undemanding to soil. A prerequisite for this is their good drainage. Excessive waterlogging and stagnation of water during the rainy season are primarily reflected in the regularity of fruiting.
Areal of culture mango occupies almost the entire tropical zone and warm regions of the subtropical zones in both hemispheres. The area border follows the 15 ° С isotherm with an absolute minimum not lower than 2-4 ° С. The same conditions determine the advancement of culture in connection with vertical zoning. In the tropical zone, mangoes are usually grown to an altitude of 600-800 m, in the subtropics - near sea level. The optimal annual rainfall is from 1200 to 2500 mm. A dry season lasting 3-4 months is a necessary stage in the annual development cycle of trees, since during this period fruit buds are laid and differentiated. The absence of a dry season disrupts the normal laying of fruit buds, flowering and fruiting become remontant, and the overall yield decreases. Heavy rainfall is dangerous not only during the flowering period, but also during the ripening period, as it contributes to the development of fungal diseases and a decrease in yield. In many countries, commercial mango cultivation is associated with the arid regions of the country (Cuba, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cote d'Ivoire).
On the other hand, in the event of severe drought, trees suspend their vegetative growth and fruits fall off. Therefore, the irrigation of gardens is very effective. So, in the Nile Valley, mangoes are cultivated with regular irrigation.
Varieties. The number of cultivated mango varieties has not been established, their several thousand... The greatest variety of varieties is in the center of origin of mangoes, in the countries of Southeast Asia.
Mango varieties are divided into mono-embryonic and polyembryonic. Monoembryonic varieties originated from Hindustan, they dominate here. Polyembryonic varieties dominate in other areas of the range. They originated from areas of Indochina, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The wide variety of cultivars in India lengthens the ripening season. So, in the state of Bihar, the fruits ripen from late May to mid-August in succession in the varieties Gulabhas, Bombay, Langra, Fazai, Kaitiki.
Scientific breeding of mangoes is especially intensive in India. Main directions breeding- obtaining annually fruiting varieties with good quality fruits, resistant to fungal diseases. For this purpose, periodically fruiting dessert varieties are crossed with low-quality varieties prone to annual fruiting. Among hybrid seedlings, a search is underway for valuable plants that could form the basis of a new variety. For the selection of mangoes, work on the isolation of valuable forms among random seedlings is of great importance, as well as the selection of bud mutations with valuable properties and their subsequent vegetative reproduction.
Growing features. The problem of vegetative reproduction in mango has not yet been solved, and a simple and economical reproduction technology has not been developed. Therefore, most countries are dominated by seed reproduction mango.
In addition to simplicity, this is facilitated by the repetition of the properties of the variety during seed reproduction due to the polyembryony (multi-embryonicity) of mango seeds.
However, complete uniformity of trees and their early fruiting are possible only with the introduction of methods vegetative propagation... The usual methods of grafting and budding on mangoes do not give good results. Therefore, in the countries of Southeast Asia, rapprochement grafting (ablating) is widespread, as well as propagation by air layers. Good results have been obtained with mango propagation by Fokert budding (with an eye on the bark) in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Egypt and Indonesia. The success of vaccinations is due to the correct timing of budding.
Seedlings of local cultivated and semi-cultivated varieties, sometimes wild types of mango are used as rootstocks.
To obtain homogeneous trees, nucellar seedlings (seedlings of polyembryonic varieties) are used as rootstocks.
Re-grafting of mature trees or replacing a variety is a promising technique for many countries where low-value seedlings prevail in gardens. Re-grafted trees give good yields of the new variety in 3-4 years. To do this, re-grafted trees are strongly pruned, then a new variety is grafted onto the water shoots that have arisen after pruning. The survival rate often exceeds 90%.
Agrotechnics mango is not fundamentally different from the agricultural technology of other fruit crops in tropical and subtropical zones. When choosing plots for mango orchards, it should be borne in mind that this culture is characterized by a relatively high salt tolerance. It is also advisable to protect the gardens from winds, since even moderate winds lead to a massive fall of growing fruits. For these purposes, you can use areas that have natural protection - near a forest, or plant fast-growing species along the borders of the garden quarters - eucalyptus, tamarind, etc.
Sowing / planting. Tree planting schemes are usually 12 x 12, 14 x 14 m, low-growing varieties are planted denser: 10 x 10.5 x 5.7 x 7 m; vigorous plants are planted with a distance between trees up to 16-18m.
Since the seedlings do not tolerate transplanting well, it is carried out with a clod of earth and in cloudy weather. Seedlings are grown in plastic bags, pots, baskets in order to preserve the soil around the root system. Transplanted plants are shaded to avoid sunburn and drying out.
Crop / planting care. Young mango orchards up to 5 years of age are irrigated during the dry season at intervals of 6 to 15 days. Irrigation of fruit-bearing gardens is rarely used. In any case, watering is stopped 2-3 months before flowering. This contributes to the successful establishment and differentiation of fruit buds and causes harmonious flowering of trees.
Harvest. Grafted mango trees enter the fruiting period 4-6 years after planting, seedlings - 7-12 years, sometimes later.
Average harvest low mango - from 4 to 7 t / ha, but intensive cultivation of the crop provides a yield of 10-15 t / ha. Fruit weight ranges from 50 to 900 g, in commercial varieties - from 200 to 600 g. The best varieties do not have fibers in the pulp, have excellent taste and aroma, and high nutritional value.
For home use fruits take away in full maturity, earlier for storage and transportation. Earlier harvesting is also practiced to protect the crop from damage by birds and flying dogs.
After early removal, the fruits withstand quite a long storage within 4-7 weeks at a temperature of 7-8 ° C and a relative humidity of 87-90%.
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Our author's teaching materials on botany and plants of Russia: Visual field identifiers-walkers:,,,, |
Mango belongs to the extensive family of Anacardia or Sumakhov, Pistachio (Anacardiaceae), genus Mango (Mangifera), including 69 plant species. The most popular representative of the genus is Indian mango (Magnifera indica)- a tree that has been cultivated for over 8 thousand years. During this time, it has become the most important agricultural crop in the tropical zone of our planet.
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The homeland of mangoes is considered the border zone of India and Myanmar. In the 7th century BC. mango first left their homeland with the Chinese traveler Hwen Sang and began to develop other territories, three centuries later, Buddhist monks brought mangoes to Malaysia and East Asia. It was brought to the Middle East and East Africa by Persian merchants in the 10th century. In 1742, with Spanish sailors, the mango crossed the island. Barbados and further to Brazil. In 1833, mango appears in the USA, Mexico, South Africa, Australia and the Middle East. Throughout the 19th century, Americans adapted the tree to the conditions of Yucatan and Florida, until in 1900 the persistence of agronomists was rewarded: the first fruits grown in North America went on sale.
Europe learned about the mango thanks to the Indian campaign of Alexander the Great, whose comrades-in-arms described the outlandish fruits. However, their delivery to regions remote from their habitats remained problematic until the advent of steamships.
In Russia, mango fruits appeared only in the middle of the 20th century. Until recently, this extremely beautiful and useful plant remained aloof from the attentive eyes of exotic plant lovers. Currently, a method for growing small mango trees at home has been developed and described.
Growing only in warm tropical climates, mango never sheds its leaves. The tree reaches 10-45 m in height and 10 m in crown diameter. Varieties with small trees are considered more practical for cultivation on plantations. Note that juicy sweet fruits were obtained by crossing two species - Mangifera indica and Mangifera sylvanica, the fruits of wild species are fibrous, small, dryish, with a pronounced smell of turpentine.
Young mango leaves are born with a reddish color, shades of color can be from yellowish pink to brownish red. Growing up, they become glossy and dark green, with a lighter underside. The leaves are simple, with a pronounced central vein, hanging on petioles thickened at the base, 3-12 cm long. The leaf shape varies from oval to elongated lanceolate, the leaf length is 15-45 cm and up to 10 cm wide. The foliage smells of turpentine.
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The plant loves light and develops quickly. The taproot goes into the ground to a depth of 6 m. Since it is difficult to hold a huge crown with a single taproot, a wide root system with additional deep roots is formed in the tree. So, the root system of a young 18-year-old tree reaches a depth of 1-2 m with a radius of up to 7.5 m.
Mangoes can grow and bear fruit for up to 300 years. In India, there is an old-timer tree with a trunk with a diameter of 3.5 m and branches with a diameter of 75 cm - this tree covers an area of more than 2250 square meters. m and gives annually about 16,000 fruits.
The bark of the tree is dark gray, brown or black, smooth, fissured with age. The branches are smooth, shiny, dark green in color.
During the year, the plant has several periods of active growth. Having reached the age of 6 years, the tree enters the period of maturity, begins to bloom and bear fruit. At home, in India, mango blooms from December in the south of the country to April in the north. During flowering, it releases many conical panicles, each of which contains from several hundred to several thousand small yellowish or pink flowers with a sweet odor similar to that of lilies. The size of each flower is 5-7 mm in diameter. Among the thousands of flowers, most are male (their number can reach 90%), the rest are bisexual. Such an abundance attracts all lovers of pollen and nectar: bats and a wide variety of insects, both flying and crawling, because mango is the best honey plant in the tropics. Despite all the efforts of pollinators, only 1-2 fruits are tied from each panicle, and unpolished flowers fall off. People do not remain indifferent to such an abundance of flowers: Otto essential oil is obtained from mango flowers.
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In nature, mango produces a single harvest per year, but in the conditions of cultivated gardens, agronomists achieve two harvests. Here it is worth paying attention to one feature of the mango: each separately taken branch bears fruit in nature in a year, alternating with neighboring ones, so that agronomists force the entire tree to bear fruit, doing it in two passes.
After the non-pollinated flowers fly around, in place of the panicles remain hanging on long petioles, as if on ribbons, 1-2 ovaries with a smooth dense green skin, which mature for 3-6 months.
The size of ripe fruits, depending on the variety, varies from 6 to 25 cm and can weigh up to 2 kg. An ordinary fruit weighs about 200-400 g. The shape of the fruit is one of the characteristics of the variety, it can be round, oval, ovoid, but almost always asymmetrical when viewed from the side.
The most valuable thing about mango is its sweet pulp. It can be whitish to intense yellow and orange in color, slightly fibrous or homogeneous. Unripe mango fruits contain pectin and a large amount of acids - citric, oxalic, malic and succinic and are used to prepare sour seasonings. The color and smell of ripe fruit are also characteristic of the variety. They are unusually diverse: green, yellow, pink fruits, or with all of the listed colors at once; resemble an apricot, melon, lemon, even a rose, or have their own unique pleasant taste and aroma. The fruiting stalk of a ripe fruit, when broken, releases juice, which smells pungently of turpentine and thickens with a darkening drop. Some varieties have a peculiar coniferous flavor and a slight smell of turpentine.
All mango fruits have one obligatory feature in their structure - the beak. Not the same, of course, as in parrots, but in the form of a small protrusion above the edge of the bone. Considering the asymmetry of the fruit, the beak is located diametrically opposite the peduncle. The expression of the beak is different in different varieties, from a small outgrowth to a point on the skin.
A flat, elongated, ribbed, solid bone of white-yellow color is hidden inside the fruit, similar to the shell of the familiar freshwater mollusk - pearl barley, which is often found in the rivers of the middle zone.
The shell and bone are close even in size - about 10 cm, only the bone is flatter. It is usually densely covered with fibers and has a characteristic "beard" along the rib, to which the pulp is attached.
In some varieties, it is smooth and easily leaves the pulp. Inside the seed there is a dicotyledonous flat seed, which can be mono- or polyembryonic, giving, respectively, one or more shoots. The size of the seeds is from 5 to 10 cm. Inside the seed, the seed is partially covered by a dense, parchment-like brown membrane.
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The part of the seed, uncovered by the membrane, is white. If we make a thin longitudinal section of the part under the membrane, we will find an oval spot of gray-brown color with dark veins.
The ripeness of the fruit is determined by the ease of removal of the stalk and the specific fruity smell of its break. In order to avoid pecking of ripe fruits by birds, the crop, as a rule, is removed a little unripe and left to ripen in a dark place. The removed fruits must be washed, removing traces of juice from the stalk or damaged peel, because the juice dries up, leaves blackening traces and damages the peel, after which the fruit rots in places of blackening. It should be remembered that fresh juice from the cut skin of the fruit is irritating to human skin. Contact with a fresh cut can result in chemical burns. People prone to allergies should be especially careful.
The seeds of ripe fruits are suitable for reproduction, but in the conditions of cultivation of varietal crops, mangoes are usually propagated by grafting, which allows you to preserve all the characteristics of the variety. And trees grown from seeds are used as a rootstock. The grafted trees begin to bear fruit in the 1-2nd year, while in nature the first fruits appear in the 6th year, and the tree reaches its full yield only after 15 years. The average yield of mangoes is 40-70 centners per hectare.
A planting site is chosen with good drainage, which is vital for mangoes. Fat soil for the tree is not needed, because it stimulates continuous vegetative growth to the detriment of flowering and yield. Mango adapts well to various soils: sandy (as in Thailand, Egypt and Pakistan), rocky (as in India, Spain and Mexico) and even saline limestone, as in Israel.
An unpretentious attitude to the composition of the soil allowed the plant to expand its distribution area, which over time occupied the entire tropical belt of the Earth. Nowadays, mangoes are even grown in Australia, but India is still the main supplier of mango fruits to the world market. The foundation of mango production in India was laid in the second half of the 16th century by the ruler of the Mughal dynasty - Jalal ad-din Akbar (1556-1605). He planted the Lag Bach garden of 100,000 mango trees on the Ganges plain. Now mango occupies 70% of the area of all orchards in India and its annual harvest is more than 2 million tons.
For 8000 years of cultivation, the tree-feeder was overgrown with legends and became sacred among people professing Buddhism and Hinduism. In Hinduism, mangoes are considered one of the incarnations of the god Prajayati - the Creator of All That Is. Buddhist legend says that Buddha, having received a mango fruit as a gift from the god Amradarik, ordered his disciple to plant a seed and watered it, washing his hands over it. At this place, the sacred mango tree grew and began to bear fruit, generously presenting its fruits to others.
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In Hinduism and Buddhism, the ripe mango fruit is a symbol of achievement, love and prosperity. Often the mango fruit is depicted in the hands of the god Ganesha, and the goddess Ambika is sitting under a mango tree. It is believed that Shiva raised and presented mangoes to his beloved wife Parvati, therefore, the mango fruit, as a guarantee of prosperity and protection of the gods, is customary to nail to the foundation of a newly built house.
As a crop, mangoes are also grown in Brazil, Mexico, Florida and Hawaii, China, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Egypt and Pakistan. Thailand is next after India in terms of mango exports, followed by Brazil, Pakistan and other countries.
What is the difference between mangoes and fruits of the middle strip? Mango pulp consists of 76-80% water, contains 11-20% sugars, 0.2-0.5% acids, 0.5% protein. Nutritionists note the usefulness of the fruit as a dietary product: 100 g contains only 70 kcal, but the fruit is unusually rich in carotene, which is 5 times more in mango than in oranges. In addition, mango contains a whole complex of vitamins - C, B 1, B 2, B 3, B 6, B 9, D, E - and microelements - K, Ca, Mg, P.
Over the years of use, a person has learned to extract the most useful from any part of the plant and mango fruit.
The leaves and bark contain mangiferin, a substance known as Indian yellow that is used in the pharmaceutical and paint industries. When a small amount of mango leaves are eaten, the urine of sacred cows becomes bright yellow, and fabrics are dyed with it. But it is impossible to use mango foliage as feed. This leads to the death of the animal.
Recently, another seed-derived product has been discovered, mango butter, which is close to cocoa butter and shea butter in consistency. It is used in the confectionery industry as a substitute for cocoa butter. The only difficulty at the present time is its insignificant amount and high cost due to manual collection and peeling of the seeds. So far, this promising area of use is in its infancy.
Laminated mango wood can range in color from gray to greenish brown. Despite the moisture resistance and ease of processing, furniture is not made from it, since it contains substances that irritate the respiratory tract. For the same reason, wood is never used for firewood, because smoke is also irritating. The culprit behind all of these restrictions is the essential oil containing mangiferol and mangiferin. Mango wood is used to make parts of load-bearing structures for roofs of wooden houses, boats, plywood and containers for transporting tin cans with canned food.
In India, they learned to use mango fruits at any stage of their development. Unripe ones go to salads and stews, those who are starting to ripen are used as vegetables and a side dish for fish and meat, somewhat unripe ones - for pickles, marinades and sauces, and ripe ones - as fruits and for making jams, marmalades and drinks.
There is another important area of use: mango powder is found in such well-known condiments as chutney, curry and amchur. Dried mango slices powder is widely used in Indian cuisine. It is added to dishes to obtain a peculiar sour taste. When using mango powder, remember that it is highly flammable and do not spill it near an open flame.
Mango recipes: Fruit kebabs with honey sauce, Amba mango sauce, Cold mango tea Original salad with mango and cucumber.
Lacking modern medicines, people for centuries have thoroughly studied all the beneficial properties of mango and learned how to use it as a medicinal plant.
A decoction of the leaves is used to treat diabetes and increase blood clotting.
The juice and pulp of the fruit help to increase resistance to viral infections, reduce the rate of keratinization of the skin and heal "night blindness" when a person cannot see at dusk, due to the high content of carotenoids. The complex of vitamins with carotene helps prevent the development of cancer of the digestive system and enhances immunity.
Freshly squeezed juice treats dermatitis, bronchitis and cleanses the liver. The peel of the fruit has an astringent and tonic effect on the stomach.
Mango as a medicinal plant can serve as a panacea for many diseases, if you know how and which parts of the plant should be used to obtain antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, anti-asthma, antiviral and anthelmintic effects.
Now there are about 600 varieties of mango, adapted to different conditions, of which only about 35 are widely grown. Each variety is characterized by the shape and size of the tree, duration and ripening time, shape, color, size and taste of the fruit. The most famous varieties in India are Alphons and Bombay with large, sweet, aromatic fruits without a specific aftertaste. In South India, crops are harvested from January to May. From here we get the varieties: Pairi, Neelam, Totapuri, Banganpalli, etc. Later - from June to August - mango also bears fruit in the northern states of India.
Let's give as an example the characteristics of several varieties.
- Baileys Marvel: Fast growing, cold hardy tree with a round, dense crown. The fruit is bright yellow with a peach barrel, large, ripens in July-September. The flesh of the fruit is firm, sweet, practically devoid of fibers.
- Julie: Popular in Jamaica, imported to Florida from Thailand. Dwarf tree suitable for container growing. The fruit is yellow-green with a pink barrel, medium, flattened from the sides, ripens in July-August. The pulp is tender, creamy.
- Malika: One of the finest Indian varieties. Fast growing compact tree suitable for container growing. The fruit is bright yellow, medium, ripens in July-August. The pulp of the fruit is orange, firm, juicy, with a pronounced aroma.
Since 1987, the annual International Mango Festival has been held in the capital of India at the end of summer. At the festival, more than 50 mango producers exhibit their products in search of new contracts with processing plants and exporters in 80 countries. The festival features over 550 different varieties of mangoes from all over the world. Here you can hear songs and poems about mangoes, treat you with exquisite mango dishes and fresh fruits, entertain the audience with contests and shows with the indispensable use of mangoes.
Mango is a fruit tree that has been known to man for 8000 years. For such a long time, people have learned to use not only the edible pulp of the fruit, but also the bark, wood, flowers and leaves of the generous tree. Despite such a long history, Europeans and Americans got acquainted with the fruits of mango only about a century ago, but during this short period of time mango has won sincere recognition as a wonderful dietary fruit that always opens a new shade of taste. Ahead of Europeans are new discoveries in the use of mango as a vegetable, aromatic seasoning and medicinal plant.
Photo: Tatiana Chechevatova, Rita Brilliantova
