Lets learn more about different types of food - Part 10 Mangoes - Information for small kids

Have you ever eaten a mango?  Maybe you have just drunk the juice and you do not even know what the fruit looks like or where it grows.

Lets learn more about this sweet fruit.

The mango fruit grows best in a tropical climate.  This means it will grow in an area with enough rain, quite hot and high in humidity.  Mangoes are native to India but through time spread to all over the world.

Buddhist monks are believed to have introduced the mango to Malaysia and eastern Asia around the 5th century B.C. Legend has it that the God Buddha found tranquility and meditated under the cool shade of a mango tree. 

The mango tree is evergreen which means it does not loose its leaves during winter time.  It is also a plant that can bear fruits for a very long time.  There are plants that are more than 300 years old and are still producing fruit.  The plant can grow up to 35 - 40 meters high.

The plant has small white flowers and it will take between 3 to 6 months for the fruit to develop and ripen.

Even thought the most mangoes are grown in India, they only transport a small portion of the production, since most is bought and eaten in the country.  There are more fresh mangoes eaten around the world every day than any other fruit.

Mangoes are used in many dishes and can be eaten for any of the 3 meals during the day.  It is also used in desserts and to make a nice, refreshing juice.

A mango is a healthy fruit which contains a lot of vitamin C and also vitamin A.  Have a look at the benefits of a mango.

Sour, unripe mangoes can be used in chutneys, pickles, as side dishes, or eaten raw on a stick dipped in salt, black pepper, chili, lime, or soy sauce. 

In many countries it is considered a gesture of friendship if you give someone a basket full of mangoes.

Even though most of the mangoes look the same, there are actually a huge variety.  They will mostly differ in the taste - how sweet it is.  Read more about some different types of mangoes here.

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