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Mango, God's gift to the Tropics
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When the mango season approaches, a heady happiness fills the air, and with its passage, it leaves behind an insatiated hunger for the fruit. Such is the overpowering effect of mango on Indians. MUMTAZ KHALID ISMAIL writes about the romance of the golden fruit.
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THERE IS a concession we allow ourselves during the mango season, the concession to gain weight. At such time the fruit is gorged in all its forms and the mango madness accepted as regular. It is said that mangoes are God's gift to the tropics. Mango is regarded as the king of the fruits. Its unique shape is recognised as a symbol of Indian art and culture. The mango pattern or `ambi' motif is used in a variety of art pieces, be it a brocade sari , an exquisite carpet or an intricate sculpture. Mangoes have not only inspired our poets but also fired the imagination of our painters and sculptors.
Botanically known as Magnifera Indica, mangoes are native to Malaysia and India. It has been cultivated in India for at least 4000 years. In the nineteenth century traders introduced the fruit to the West Indies, Africa and South America. Arab merchants took it to Persia and Egypt. Mango trees blossomin regions where there is good rainfall followed by dry weather. Rain, fog, or cloudy weather at the time of flowering affects fertilisation and fruit yielding. There are a number of varieties of mangoes, the popular ones being Alphonso, Jeengira, Dussehri, Totapuri, Neelam, Banganapalli, and Suvarnarekha.
Mangoes are nutritious and an excellent source of carotene as compared to other fruits. 100 gms of edible mango contain about 1990 ug of beta-carotene (Vitamin A), which is much higher than that in other fruits. The total carotenoids in mango increase with itsripening. Eating mangoes in the season provides a store of Vitamin A in the liver, sufficient to last for the rest of the year and highly beneficial for the prevention of Vitamin A deficient disorders like night blindness. Mangoes are a good source of Vitamin C as 16mg of Vitamin C is present in 100 gms of mango. Both vitamins A and C are anti oxidants and help to prevent free radical injury and thus reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Colour is not necessarily an indication of ripeness in a mango. Some varieties remain green even when they are ripe, while others turn golden or bright red. The best way to select good quality mango is to buy firm and unblemished fruit with no black marks on it. Ripe mangoes can be stored for days to weeks depending on the variety. Mangoes can be canned and preserved as pulp or slices. Raw mangoes can be dried andused for pickles and chutneys. This delicious fruit is best eaten when ripe. Mangoes make an exotic addition to fruit salads and can be pureed to make sorbets and ice creams, milk shakes, juices, jam, jellies, pickles and mango papad.Small ripe mangoes can be made into mouth-watering curries with coconut and buttermilk. Prawns and fish preparations taste well with raw sour mangoes. Raw mango pickle and chutney titillate the taste buds. Peeled unripe mangoes can be cut into small thin pieces and dried in the sun after seasoning with turmeric powder. This dried mango is known as `amchur' powder andis used as a souring agent in Indian cookery. The mango seeds are also edible it is collected in the season and dried in the shade and powdered and stored to make many dishes. Tiny raw mangoes when steamed and soaked in brine,in porcelain jars, lasts for a period of four to five months. These pickled mangoes can be ground with green chillies and a dash of oil can be added and served as lip smacking chutney.Tender mango leaves, bark and stem have medicinal value as they have anti bacterial properties.
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