Mango is one of the oldest tropical fruit crops in India, where this plant has been cultivated for more than 8 thousand years. Currently, mangoes are widespread throughout the tropical zone of the Earth, but the bulk of the fruit harvest occurs in Asia. Leading mango growing countries: India, Mexico, Thailand.

There are many varieties of mangoes known - more than 1,500 of them are described in India alone, and 900 in Indonesia. There are dessert varieties of mangoes and technical ones, which are used primarily for making canned food.

Synonyms and local names of the plant: Indian mango, Indian mango tree, mangifera; mango, mango tree- in English and Spanish; manque, arbre de mango- French; Mangobaum, Mangopflaume- in German; am, amb, chuta- in Hindi.

Mango(Mangifera indica L.) belongs to the large family of anacardiaceae (Anacardiaceae) or sumacaceae (consisting of 80 genera and about 600 species of subtropical and tropical plants, mainly trees).
Mango is a tropical evergreen tree up to 20 m high; This is one of the most vigorous and durable fruit species.

Mango inflorescences contain from 200 to 4000 small flowers, bisexual and male. The set rate of mango flowers is very low: as a rule, only 1-2 fruits ripen in one multi-flowered inflorescence.

Mango fruits are large (average fruit weight - 200-400 g, maximum - 1 kg). They are ovoid, elongated-ovoid or spherical in shape. The skin of the fruit is smooth, dense, of various colors: green-yellow, apricot, bright red, almost black.

The seed of the mango fruit is large (seed length from 5-6 cm to 10 cm, weight - up to 50 g), it is located inside a hard shell, like a stone fruit.

The aromatic pulp of mango fruit is yellow or orange, juicy, sweet with weak acidity. The smell of the fruit often resembles an apricot, a rose, a melon, or a lemon, but sometimes mango fruits have a special aroma that is not like other fruits. At the same time, mango fruits have the smell of turpentine, which is also characteristic of other representatives of the anacardiaceae family.

Indian fruits contain 14-24% soluble solids.
Mango fruits are very healthy; they are characterized by a high content of sugars, which include: sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, xylose, sedoheptulose, mannoheptulose. There are vitamins “C”, “B1”, “B2”, “B5”, “D” and “E”. The amount of vitamin C in mango fruits varies depending on the variety and growing conditions (ranges from 15 to 175 mg/100 g).
Mango pulp contains 12 amino acids, including all essential ones.
Mango fruits are also rich in carotenoids, which cause the yellow or orange-yellow color of the pulp (carotene in mangoes is almost 5 times more than in tangerines).
Mango fruits have almost no fat and little protein.
Minerals in mango pulp include calcium, phosphorus, and iron; no sodium.
The pulp, skin of the fruit and leaves of the mango contain tannins; the leaves also contain a herbal tranquilizer.

Therapeutic and preventive properties of mango

Vitamins “C” and “E” contained in mango fruits, in combination with carotene and fiber, prevent cancer (of the colon and rectum, pancreas and prostate glands, breast, cervix, stomach and other organs).
B vitamins, vitamin C and carotene strengthen the body's immune system and protect healthy cells from oxidation as antioxidants.

Mango relieves nervous tension, improves mood, helps overcome stress, and increases sexual activity.

Russian herbalists recommend putting a piece of mango on the tip of the tongue for 5-7 minutes for pain in the heart. To generally strengthen the cardiovascular system, it is useful to chew a piece of mango pulp every day for 2-3 weeks, spreading it over the entire surface of the tongue, hold for 5-7 minutes, and then swallow. Fresh fruit can be replaced with nectar or mango juice, which also needs to be held in the mouth for 5-7 minutes.

European herbalists prescribe a decoction of mango leaves to treat diabetes and retinal damage in diabetics. There is also an improvement in the condition of blood vessels and the pancreas. A decoction of semi-dry mango leaves helps with hypertension, in the treatment of multiple hemorrhages on the skin, varicose veins, etc.

In Indian folk medicine, mango fruits are famous for curing many diseases (even cholera and plague). Ripe fruits are prescribed as a diuretic and laxative for internal bleeding. Mango juice is used to treat acute dermatitis; the seeds are used for asthma.

In the Philippines, mango fruits are consumed to improve intestinal motility for constipation and indigestion.

In Brazil, mango juice is consumed with meals for better absorption of fiber and meat, as well as to relieve heartburn.

Not only the fruits are used for medicinal purposes, but also the flowers, seeds, bark, leaves and gum from the bark. Mango peel has astringent and stomach tonic properties.

However, there are contraindications for some people prone to allergic reactions: contact with mangoes may cause swollen lips, and a rash may appear on the skin.

How to choose mangoes when buying and store the fruits

Since ripe mango fruits of different varieties are very differently colored (from bright green to dark, almost black, with yellow or bright spots that are somewhat reminiscent of freckles), it is very difficult to judge the degree of their ripeness by the color of the fruit. First of all, you should choose fruits with shiny, healthy skin. A ripe and fresh mango fruit, when touched, seems to “answer a greeting.” However, the skin should not be too crushed under your fingers. High-quality mangoes are not too hard, but not soft either. It is better not to buy overripe fruits.

The more or less pronounced smell of turpentine emanating from mango fruits often repels buyers who are not familiar with this feature of the fruit. In the best cultivated mango varieties, this smell is weakly expressed.

Mango fruits store well. For local consumption, the fruits are collected at the stage of full ripeness, and for storage and export they are collected a little earlier (after reaching the size characteristic of a given variety and when the first signs of varietal color appear).
Fully ripened mangoes can be stored indoors for no more than five days. They can be stored cool (at 10°C) for three weeks without significant changes in quality.

When storing mangoes at low temperatures, the fruit tissue softens.

Grated mangoes are suitable for frozen storage.

Using mango in cooking

In India, mango fruits are consumed at all stages of ripening, starting from the smallest ovaries; Very young fruits are used in salads, while more mature mangoes are used as a vegetable. Pickles, all kinds of marinades, seasonings and sauces are prepared from unripe fruits.
From ripening mango fruits, canned food (jams, juices, compotes, confitures, etc.) is produced over several months.
During the famine in India, mango seed kernels crushed into flour were used as food.

There are two varieties of mango fruits available for sale. The spherical fruits, shaped like a peach, are peeled and eaten fresh, served for dessert with ice cream. Fruits of another type are kneaded in the hands, then a hole is made and the juice is squeezed out.
Unripe mangoes are good in salads and served as a side dish for meat and fish dishes. They are used to make a spicy seasoning chutney, which is seasoned with fried meat or poultry. Mango is also included in the hot sauce. curry.
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 and various cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
Indian national dish is prepared from young mango leaves lablab.

Mango pulp is consumed peeled (the peel is not eaten). First, the fruit is thoroughly washed. When washing and peeling a mango fruit, an allergy in the form of a rash may appear on your hands, so it is prepared for use with gloves.
Mango tastes better when chilled and softens its inherent buttery flavor.

When setting the table, it is advisable to place bowls of water to rinse your fingers or place slightly dampened napkins, since mango fruits emit a strongly coloring substance.

Before serving, remove the seed from the mango fruit - you can use one of the following methods (depending on the degree of softness of the fruit).
A hard mango fruit is cut in half across the grain around the pit - it is best to cut the fruit along the pit on both sides. Then, holding the halves in your hands, turn them in opposite directions, and cut out the bone that has grown tightly to the pulp. Peeled halves of dense mango pulp can be cut into plates, slices or cubes, or crushed using a mixer.
The relatively soft mango fruit is cut into four parts with a sharp fruit knife and separated from the stone. Each part is turned skin side up and held with a fork. The skin of the fruit is carefully separated, the juicy slices are cut into pieces and eaten with a fork.
Very juicy mango pulp is selected from the fruit cut into two halves with a dessert spoon.

A mango seed extracted from a ripe fruit can give life to a new plant.

Mango propagation

All about mango on site site

All about exotics on the website website

Mango (Magnifera indica) is a fruit that is rightfully considered one of the most popular and beloved in the world. The name "mango" comes from the Tamil word "mangkay" or "man-gay" and means "great fruit" in Sanskrit. When Portuguese traders settled in western India, they adopted the name as "manga". The homeland of mangoes is considered to be Eastern India, Burma and the Andaman Islands, where this fruit has been a favorite food for more than 4 thousand years. Around the 5th century BC. Buddhist monks brought the fruit to Malaysia and East Asia. Persian traders spread mangoes throughout the Middle East and Africa, and from there Portuguese ships brought them to Brazil. Mangoes appeared in North America between the 1830s and 1880s.

Mango is the king of fruits

Mango is a fruit rightfully considered one of the most popular and beloved in the world.

Legends of mangoes

Mango is the national symbol of India, where it is called the “king of fruits”. According to legend, Buddha found peace and quiet in a mango grove. In Pakistan, the mango is called the Asian apple, after the infamous biblical fruit. But according to Asian legend, the god Shiva himself grew the Indian magnifera with its wonderful fruits for his beloved and gave her this tree as a sign of his love. The great veneration of mangoes in their homeland is explained by the fact that the fruit has a beneficial effect on the physical health and biofield of a person; it belongs to the class of “products of goodness” - the healthiest and best.

Selection, use, storage

Mango stalls in Bani

When choosing a fruit, you first need to feel its skin. It should be without dents, shiny and elastic, but pliable. When pressed, a small dent appears on a ripe fruit, but if juice comes out of it, it means the fruit is overripe. Also, in a ripe fruit, when shaken, the heart of the stone separates and dangles inside, making a characteristic knocking sound. Through the peel, the pulp spreads a pleasant, fragrant aroma, but the smell of turpentine means that it is not the best cultivated variety of fruit. Unripe mangoes can ripen if they are wrapped in paper and placed in a dark, warm place for one week. In the refrigerator, the ripening process slows down or stops altogether; also, if stored in the cold for a long time, the pulp may soften and become tasteless.

In the Dominican Republic, it is customary to peel the fruit as follows. Using a sharp knife, cut off a piece from each side of the fruit so that the bone remains in the middle of the piece. After this, take the cut part in your hands with the flesh facing up and, using a small knife, carefully so as not to injure the peel, draw a mesh on top. Then they turn the piece inside out, cut the cubes into a plate, or eat the cubes of pulp while holding the fruit in their hand. As for the remaining part with the bone, you can simply run a knife around it so that as much of the pulp is cut off as possible. You can make many different delicacies from mangoes: jelly, marmalade, jam, filling for a cake or pie, base for sauce, salad, marinade.

mango tree

mango tree

Mango is an evergreen tree with a height of 10 to 45 m with a beautiful spherical crown. Mango belongs to the group of semi-acidic fruits and is botanically related to cashews, pistachios, Jamaican plum and poison sumac. The leaves of the tree initially grow yellowish-pink in color, but quickly change to dark green. The white and pink flowers of the plant have the scent of lilies.

Mango is the king of fruits

The oval-shaped fruits, weighing up to 2 kg, hang on long stems like Christmas decorations. Mango peel is thin and smooth, green, yellow or red depending on the degree of ripeness (a combination of all three colors is often found). The pulp of a ripe fruit is juicy and fleshy, inside it there is a large, hard, flat bone. The taste of the fruit resembles a mixture of dates, citrus fruits and strawberries, or peach and pineapple.

There are about 300 types of mangoes in the world; more than 20 million tons of Asian apples are bought up by lovers of this fruit every year. Initially, the plant grew in the territory between the Indian state of Assam and the state of Myanmar in tropical rainforests, but is currently grown in many countries: in the USA, Mexico, China, Pakistan, in the countries of South and Central America, in the Caribbean islands, in the tropical zone of Africa , in many Asian countries (Thailand, Philippines), as well as in Australia.

In the Dominican Republic, mangoes, unlike other fruits, are seasonal. The fruits begin to ripen in March and stop harvesting around the end of November. Several varieties grow in the Dominican Republic, not counting hybrids. The most common are Indian and Indochinese varieties. Indian - round, red or yellow. Indochinese is elongated and green.

Treasury of health

Mango is the king of fruits

Mango is very good for health. It includes a full range of vitamins, and the vitamin C content can reach up to 175 mg per 100 g of fruit pulp. The fruit is rich in essential amino acids that the human body is not able to produce, which is why it is so important to get them from food. It contains many carotenoids, about 5 times more than tangerines. Asian apple has a rich composition of minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese, potassium, and pectin.

Mango has a beneficial effect on the organs of vision: it helps with night blindness, dry cornea and other eye diseases. In addition, regular consumption of ripe fruits improves immunity and protects against colds. The vitamins B, C and E contained in the fruits, in combination with carotene and fiber, prevent cancer and also protect healthy cells from oxidation as antioxidants. Mango relieves nervous tension, improves mood, helps overcome stress and even increases sexual activity.

European herbalists prescribe a decoction of the leaves to treat diabetes, as well as to improve the condition of blood vessels and the pancreas. A decoction of semi-dry leaves helps with hypertension, treatment of hemorrhages on the skin, varicose veins. Research by scientists shows that mango extract has an amazing ability to regulate the level of so-called “bad” cholesterol and is able to normalize metabolic processes in the body.

An oil rich in valuable fatty acids is obtained from the seeds of the fruit. It prevents split ends and gives volume to hair. You can also make a fifteen-minute mask for the ends of your hair from the pulp. And the leaves are an excellent teeth whitener. Ripe fruits are also used for weight loss. The combination with milk is considered very successful: the content of sugars in the former and proteins in the latter creates an optimal balance of these substances in the body, giving at the same time a feeling of satiety and lightness. The calorie content of mango per 100 grams of product is 67 Kcal.

Dominican varieties

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The mango tree is distributed on all continents and is used for various purposes. The leaves are often used for decoration and also medicinally for making medicines.

Mango is a majestic tree with a wide, rounded crown. With age, the crown of a tree can reach a width of almost 40 meters; as it approaches the top, it becomes more vertical and thinner. On well-fertilized soils, the mango taproot goes six meters deep into the ground, and a well-developed root system also produces additional deep-growing supporting taproots. This is a long-lived tree; it can grow up to 300 years, while remaining fruitful.

A little history

Mango is a genus of evergreen tropical plants of the sumac family. There is hardly an orchard located in a tropical or subtropical climate that does without this tree - similar to a temperate orchard with an obligatory apple or cherry tree. Translated from Sanskrit, “mango” means “great fruit.” Mangoes have been cultivated by Indians for thousands of years. Mango seeds came to East Asia in the 4th-5th century BC.

Mango botany

Mango trees reach 10–45 meters and have a dense crown. The leaves are linear-oblong or elliptical, with a resinous odor. New leaves emerge yellowish-pink in color but quickly turn dark green. The small flowers are collected in a panicle, bloom from white to pink, and have a scent similar to that of lilies. The fruits of the tree are drupes of varying sizes with tender, fragrant, sour or sweet pulp. They mature in three to six months and come in different sizes and colors. When the fruit ripens, you can tell by the sweet pine smell. The skin of mango is smooth, similar to the surface of a plum, but there are also varieties with the texture of melon and avocado. The stone inside the fruit is easily separated from the pulp. The fruits are cut with a small branch, this helps preserve the fruit longer and makes it easy to transport.

Natural pollinators of mangoes are bats, beetles, butterflies, flies, wild bees, wasps, ants and other insects that feed on flower nectar. Domestic bees do not distinguish mango flower nectar from other plants, so they do not play any special role in the pollination of this plant. A certain percentage is due to self-pollination. Unpollinated flowers fall to the ground, and ovaries that arise from self-pollination often also fall off before they have time to develop. Prolonged tropical rains, which wash away pollen, also prevent normal pollination. When exposed to unfavorable weather conditions, some artificially bred mango varieties produce a small harvest of small fruits containing an underdeveloped seed that is incapable of germination.

Mangifera indica

Mango, also called Mangifera indica, contains a large amount of vitamin C, B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, E, and contains folic acid. Mango is also rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Regular consumption of mangoes strengthens the immune system. Due to the content of vitamins C, E, as well as carotene and fiber, eating mango helps prevent colon and rectal cancer, and is a prevention of cancer and other organs. Mango is an excellent antidepressant, improves mood, and relieves nervous tension.

For cardiovascular diseases, it is recommended to eat mango pulp daily for a month. You need to chew the pulp, hold it in your mouth for 5 minutes and only then swallow it. Ripe mango fruits help with colds, eye diseases, and have a laxative and diuretic effect. Still ripe fruits are used for weight loss. Currently, the milk-mango diet is very popular.

Geography

In nature, mango trees grow most actively in tropical lowlands, at an altitude not exceeding 1000 meters. Seasonal downpours from June to September, replacing the dry period, do not harm the ripening of mangoes, because flowering and fertilization have already occurred and the small ovaries of mango fruits are already quite capable of withstanding prolonged monsoon rains. In their historical habitats, mango trees have adapted to this age-old life cycle. But growing in countries far from India and Southeast Asia, where heavy rains fall between October and February, and there are fogs at the same time, mango trees are at risk of fungal infection of the inflorescences and ovaries. Strong winds also contribute to the premature fall of unripe fruits.

Mango trees are not particularly picky about soil composition; they only need good drainage. Loamy, well-moistened, fertilized soil promotes active vegetative growth of the tree to the detriment of the abundance of its flowering and fruiting. Mango is very favorable to sandy, rocky soils; it grows well in Israel on saline limestone.

Agricultural technology

Mangoes are easily grown from seeds. The germination period and the strength of the sprout depend on how ripe the fruit from which the seed was taken was. The seed should be fresh and not dry. If the seed cannot be planted within a few days of being removed from the fruit, it should be placed in a container filled with damp soil, sand or sawdust and kept there until planting is favorable. In this state, the seeds retain up to 80% germination for two months. Preservation of germination can be achieved by storing the seed in a plastic bag, but in this case the sprouts will be somewhat weakened.

Before planting, the pulp must be completely removed from the seed, and then you need to carefully open the hard shell with a sharp knife, which easily comes away from the seed in a fully ripe fruit. Opening the hard shell helps to accelerate germination, avoids squeezing young roots, and also makes it possible to remove the larvae of the flower weevil, which can settle in plants growing in regions where this pest is typical. And finally, the seed, freed from its hard shell, is treated with a fungicide and immediately planted.

The container in which the seed is placed must have a solid bottom to prevent the active growth of the tap root, which, if it does not encounter a hard obstacle in its path, can easily reach a length of 45–60 cm, while the height of the sprout itself will be only a third, maximum half of this length. In this case, transplanting the seedling to a permanent “place of growth” will be unsafe for the life of the plant. The seed is immersed in the sand mixture with the narrow end down, so that about a quarter of the seed remains outside. In tropical and subtropical climates, the seed will germinate in 8–14 days; in cooler conditions, germination may take 3–4 weeks. The seedling begins to bear fruit in the sixth year of life, and reaches full yield in the fifteenth year.

But with cuttings things are not so simple. Planted mango cuttings require special treatment with growth stimulants, but even in this case, only 40% of them survive. The best results are obtained from cuttings taken from an adult tree. The bark of the branch from which the cutting will be taken is cut with a ring cut 40 days before the cutting is separated. After cutting the cutting, it is treated with a stimulant and germinated in water, and only after that the seedling is planted in a container or open ground. However, neither germinated cuttings nor air layering produce a strong root system, so these methods of propagating mango trees have not received practical significance.

Grow at home

To grow mangoes at home, you need to have a large container, such as a container for growing ornamental palms. The air in the room should be dry, as this will help avoid the biggest and most serious enemy of these plants - anthracnose. The room should be well ventilated and well lit. It is advisable for the tree to be located on the sunny side of the house. The temperature should not fall below 15°C. The plant is quite light-loving. Therefore, if your climatic conditions have no more than 200 sunny days a year, it is worth using artificial lighting.

Mango (lat. Mangifera indica)- an evergreen tree belonging to the Sumacaceae family and one of the most valuable agricultural crops.

Story

Mangoes have long grown wild in tropical rainforests located in Myanmar (in the border zone) and in the distant Indian state called Assam. And in the 16th century, active Portuguese colonists also brought it to Africa and Brazil.

Today, mangoes are cultivated in many regions with a favorable climate around the world: in China, Mexico, the Caribbean islands, Central and South America, tropical Africa (Côte d'Ivoire and Kenya), Cuba and in the United States, as well as in Australia and many Asian countries (Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand).

Description

Mango is an evergreen tree with a fairly dense crown, the height of which reaches from ten to forty-five meters. The leaves of this crop are very large - their width is on average about ten centimeters, and their length is about forty centimeters. Young leaves are usually colored in reddish shades, while mature leaves are a rich dark green color.

Tiny yellowish mango flowers form fairly long panicles. Each panicle can contain from several hundred flowers to several thousand.

Mango fruits are yellowish drupes covered with a smooth, waxy skin. Their taste can vary from sour to sweet. It is also important to know that mango fruits can cause allergic reactions in some people - both the fruits themselves (especially unripe ones) and their peel contain all sorts of toxic components. And the main irritant is considered to be the easily volatile essential substance. Depending on the variety, mangoes ripen between June and August, and some varieties ripen only in December.

Currently, there are about three hundred varieties of mangoes. One of the most popular is the Alfonso variety.

Usage

Mangoes are eaten not only fresh, but also canned. The pulp of its fruit contains not only sugars, but also xanthones (the main one being mangiferin) and organic acids.

Mango is also used quite widely in popular Indian medicine - not only the fruits and seeds with flowers are used there, but also gum from the bark.

The wood of mango trees is characterized by truly incredible strength, due to which the range of its applications is very wide: it is used in shipbuilding, construction, as well as in the production of sports equipment, all kinds of crafts, plywood with veneer and even shoes.

Mango is also one of the national symbols of Pakistan and India.

Growing mango from seed

Mangoes are quite easy to grow from a flat and fairly large ovoid seed removed from the fruit. The fruit, of course, must be ripe. To extract the seed, it is best to take even a slightly overripe soft fruit. By the way, in such fruits you can sometimes find already burst seeds with tiny sprouts peeking out.

Immediately before planting, the pit is freed as much as possible from the pulp - this is necessary so that after planting mold does not form on it. The opened seed can be planted immediately, placing it as close as possible to the soil surface with the root down. And the unopened bone is first dipped in a glass of water at room temperature for a week or two. The water should be changed every two days. Only after this time can the seed be planted. You can do it differently - let the seed swell in a wet towel (similar to germinating zucchini or pumpkin seeds). It is important to ensure that the bone does not dry out.

The soil intended for planting should be as light as that for planted succulents. Ideally, it should be mixed with pebbles or expanded clay. In addition, the pot must have a drainage hole. And on top they set up a miniature “greenhouse” made from a cut-off plastic bottle. Periodically, the plug must be removed to allow the plant to ventilate.

Mango belongs to the large family of Anacardiaceae or Sumacaceae, Pistachioaceae (Anacardiaceae), Mango genus (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.

The border zone of India and Myanmar is considered the homeland of mangoes. In the 7th century BC. mangoes first left their homeland with the Chinese traveler Hwen Sang and began to explore 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, mangoes were transported to the island. Barbados and on to Brazil. In 1833, mangoes appeared 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 perseverance of agronomists was rewarded: the first fruits grown in North America went on sale.

Europe learned about mangoes thanks to the Indian campaign of Alexander the Great, whose comrades described the strange fruits. However, their delivery to regions remote from their places of growth remained problematic until the advent of steamships.

Mango fruits appeared in Russia only in the middle of the 20th century. Until recently, this extremely beautiful and useful plant remained away from the attentive eyes of exotic lovers. Currently, a method for growing small mango trees at home has been developed and described.

Growing only in warm tropical climates, mangoes never shed their 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 as a result of crossing two species - Mangifera indica And Mangifera sylvanica, the fruits of wild species are fibrous, small, dry, with a distinct smell of turpentine.

Young mango leaves are born with a reddish color, shades of color can range from yellowish-pink to brownish-red. As they grow, 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 shape of the leaf varies from oval to elongated-lanceolate, the length of the leaf is 15-45 cm with a width of up to 10 cm. The foliage smells of turpentine.

The plant loves light and develops quickly. The tap root goes into the ground to a depth of 6 m. Since the huge crown is difficult to hold with a single tap root, the tree develops a wide root system with additional deep roots. Thus, 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-time 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 produces about 16,000 fruits annually.

The bark of the tree is dark gray, brown or black, smooth, cracking with age. The branches are smooth, shiny, dark green.

During the year the plant has several periods of active growth. Having reached the age of 6 years, the tree enters the time of maturity and begins to bloom and bear fruit. In its homeland, India, mangoes bloom from December in the south of the country to April in the north. When flowering, it produces many conical panicles, each of which contains from several hundred to several thousand small yellowish or pink flowers with a sweet smell, similar to the aroma of lilies. The size of each flower is 5-7 mm in diameter. Among the thousands of flowers, the majority are male (their number can reach up to 90%), the rest are bisexual. Such 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 formed from each panicle, and unpollinated flowers fall off. People do not remain indifferent to such floral abundance: otto essential oil is obtained from mango flowers.

In nature, mango produces a single harvest per year, but in cultivated gardens, agronomists achieve two harvests. Here it is worth paying attention to one feature of the mango: each individual branch bears fruit in nature every other year, alternating with its neighbors, so that agronomists force the entire tree to bear fruit, doing this in two passes.

After the unpollinated flowers fly around, in place of the panicles, 1-2 ovaries with smooth dense green skin remain hanging on long petioles, as if on ribbons, which ripen for 3-6 months.

The size of ripe fruits, depending on the variety, varies from 6 to 25 cm and can reach a weight of 2 kg. A typical 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 a mango is its sweet pulp. It can range from whitish to intense yellow and orange, slightly fibrous or homogeneous. Unripe mangoes 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 fruits are also characteristics of the variety. They are incredibly diverse: green, yellow, pink fruits, or with all of the above colors at once; they resemble an apricot, melon, lemon, even a rose, or have their own unique pleasant taste and aroma. The stalk of a ripe fruit, when broken, releases juice that smells sharply of turpentine and thickens with a darkening drop. Some varieties have a peculiar pine flavor and a slight smell of turpentine.

All mango fruits have one structural feature that is obligatory for all - a beak. Not the same, of course, as in parrots, but in the form of a small protrusion above the edge of the bone. Given the asymmetry of the fruit, the beak is located diametrically opposite to the stalk. The severity of the beak varies among different varieties, from a small outgrowth to a point on the skin.

Hidden inside the fruit is a flat, elongated, ribbed, hard bone of white-yellow color, similar to the shell of a familiar freshwater mollusk - pearl barley, often found in the rivers of the middle zone.

The shell and the bone are even close in size - about 10 cm, only the bone is flatter. It is usually densely covered with fibers and has a characteristic “beard” along the ribs to which the flesh is attached.

In some varieties it is smooth and easily comes away from the pulp. Inside the stone there is a dicotyledonous flat seed, which can be mono- or polyembryonic, giving, respectively, one or several shoots. The size of the seeds is from 5 to 10 cm. Inside the seed, the seed is partially covered with a dense, parchment paper-like, brown membrane.

The part of the seed not covered by the membrane is white. If we make a thin longitudinal section of the part located under the membrane, we will find an oval gray-brown spot with dark veins.

The ripeness of the fruit is determined by the ease of removing the stalk and the specific fruity smell of its breaking. To prevent birds from pecking at ripe fruits, the harvest is usually harvested slightly unripe and left to ripen in a dark place. The harvested fruits must be washed, removing traces of juice from the stalk or damaged peel, because The juice, when dried, leaves blackening marks and damages the peel, after which the fruit rots in the blackened areas. It should be remembered that fresh juice from the cut peel of the fruit has an irritating effect on human skin. Contact with a fresh cut may cause a chemical burn. People prone to allergies should be especially careful.

Seeds of ripe fruits are suitable for propagation, but in conditions of cultivation of varietal crops, mangoes are usually propagated by grafting, which makes it possible to preserve all the characteristics of the variety. And trees grown from seeds are used as a rootstock. Grafted trees begin to bear fruit in the 1st or 2nd year, whereas in nature the first fruits appear in the 6th year, and the tree reaches full yield only after 15 years. The average mango yield is 40-70 quintals per hectare.

A planting site is chosen with good drainage, which is vital for mangoes. Rich soil is not needed for the tree, because... it stimulates continuous vegetative growth at the expense 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 grown even in Australia, but India still remains the main supplier of mangoes to the world market. The basis for mango production in India was laid in the second half of the 16th century by the ruler of the Great Mughal dynasty, Jalal ad-din Akbar (1556-1605). He planted the Lag Bagh garden of 100 thousand 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.

Over 8,000 years of cultivation, the breadwinner tree has become overgrown with legends and has become 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 Amradarika, ordered his disciple to plant a seed and watered it, washing his hands over it. At this place, a sacred mango tree grew and began to bear fruit, generously bestowing its fruits on others.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, a ripe mango is a symbol of achievement, love and prosperity. Often the mango fruit is depicted in the hands of the god Ganesh, and the goddess Ambika sitting under a mango tree. It is believed that Shiva grew and gave mangoes to his beloved wife Parvati, so the mango fruit, as a guarantee of prosperity and protection of the gods, is usually nailed to the foundation of a newly built house.

Mangoes are also grown as an agricultural crop in Brazil, Mexico, Florida and Hawaii, China, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Egypt and Pakistan. Thailand comes next after India in terms of mango exports, followed by Brazil, Pakistan and other countries.

What is the difference between mangoes and midland fruits? 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, of which mangoes have 5 times more than oranges. In addition, mango contains a whole complex of vitamins - C, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, D, E - and microelements - K, Ca, Mg, P.

Over many years of use, people have learned to extract the maximum benefits 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 pharmacology and the paint and varnish industry. By eating a small amount of mango leaves, the urine of sacred cows turns bright yellow and is used to dye fabrics. But it is not possible to use mango leaves as feed. This leads to the death of the animal.

Recently, another product that can be obtained from the seeds was discovered - mango butter, which is similar in consistency to cocoa and shea butters. It is used in the confectionery industry as a substitute for cocoa butter. The only difficulty at present is its small quantity and high cost, due to manual collection and peeling of the seeds. This promising area of ​​use is still in its infancy.

The laminated wood of mango can range in color from gray to greenish-brown. Despite its 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 also has an irritating effect. The culprit of all these restrictions is the essential oil containing mangiferol and mangiferin. Mango wood is used to make parts of the load-bearing structures of the roofs of wooden houses, boats, plywood and containers for transporting cans of canned food.

In India, they have learned to use mango fruits at any stage of their development. Unripe ones are used in salads and stews, those that begin to ripen are used as vegetables and a side dish for fish and meat, somewhat unripe ones are used for pickles, marinades and sauces, and ripe ones are used as fruits and for making jams, jams and drinks.

There is another important use: mango powder is an ingredient in famous seasonings such as chutney, curry and amchur. Powder made from dried mango slices is widely used in Indian cuisine. It is added to dishes to obtain a unique sour taste. When using mango powder, remember that it is highly flammable and do not spill it near an open flame.

Cooking recipes with mango: Fruit skewers with honey sauce, Amba mango sauce, Cold mango tea, Original salad with mango and cucumber.

Without modern medicines, people have thoroughly studied all the beneficial properties of mango for centuries and learned 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 increase resistance to viral infections, reduce the rate of keratinization of the skin and cure “night blindness”, when a person cannot see at dusk, due to the high content of carotenoids. A complex of vitamins with carotene helps prevent the development of cancer of the digestive system and improves 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-asthmatic, antiviral and anthelmintic effects.

Now there are about 600 varieties of mangoes, adapted to different conditions, of which only about 35 are widely grown. Each variety is characterized by the shape and size of the tree, the duration and time of ripening, the 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 taste. In South India, the harvest is harvested from January to May. From here we get varieties: Pairi, Neelam, Totapuri, Banganpalli, etc. Later - from June to August - mangoes bear fruit in the northern states of India.

Let us give as an example the characteristics of several varieties.

• Baileys Marvel: A fast-growing, cold-tolerant tree with a round, dense crown. The fruit is bright yellow with a peach barrel, large, ripens in July-September. The pulp of the fruit is hard, sweet, and practically devoid of fiber.
• Julie: Popular in Jamaica, introduced to Florida from Thailand. Dwarf tree, suitable for growing in a container. The fruit is yellow-green with a pink side, medium-sized, laterally flattened, ripens in July-August. The pulp is tender and creamy.
• Malika: One of the most exquisite Indian varieties. A fast growing compact tree, suitable for growing in a container. The fruit is bright yellow, medium, ripens in July-August. The fruit pulp is orange, hard, juicy, with a pronounced aroma.

Since 1987, the capital of India has hosted the annual International Mango Festival at the end of summer. At the festival, more than 50 mango producers exhibit their products in search of new contracts with processors and exporters in 80 countries. The festival presents more than 550 different varieties of mangoes from all over the world. Here they sing songs and poems about mangoes, treat them to delicious mango dishes and fresh fruits, and entertain the public with competitions and shows with the obligatory use of mangoes.

Mango is a fruit tree known to man for 8,000 years. Over such a long period of 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 became acquainted with mango fruits only about a century ago, but during this short period of time, mango has gained sincere recognition as an excellent dietary fruit that always reveals a new shade of taste. Ahead of Europeans are new discoveries in the use of mango as a vegetable, an aromatic seasoning and a medicinal plant.

Photo: Tatyana Chechevatova, Rita Brilliantova