It's here and the madness is spreading. Yes, mango mania is hitting chennaiites hard this summer. However, it is making the heat just a wee bit more bearable. Here is some more reason for chennaiites to feel a closer bonding with the 'King of Fruits'. It is believed that the fruit got its name from the Tamil word “mangai”.

The mango is an evergreen, and an originally an inhabitant of South East Asia. Today, we have about thousand different varieties of mangoes being grown across the globe. This fleshy, succulent and exotically flavoured fruit ranks first among the fruits that are eaten fresh all over the world. 

In many ways, mangoes can be called a comfort food. One always feels better after having eaten one. This may be attributed to an enzyme present in the fruit. This enzyme is very similar to papin (which is present in papaya), and has a soothing effect on the stomach. So, the craving is but natural. This very quality makes mango a great tenderizer (great tip for all you foodies to experiment with!).Mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. The anti oxidant beta-carotene is also present in considerable amounts in mango.

I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone (especially the obese ones like me), who shun mangoes and deprive themselves of this celestial pleasure because of the weight gain bug - MANGOES are NOT FATTENING. To be very specific, average sized mango contains 100 calories and 1 gram of fat. Besides, mangoes are an excellent source of dietary fibre.

In our country, mangoes have some religious significance as well. The tree is regarded as sacred by many. The leaves of the tree are used for poojas, weddings and other auspicious occasions.

After having read all that encouraging nutritive information, its time to select the right one.

Ripe mangoes emit an enticing fruity aroma from the stem end. Raw ones do not have any smell. To check if the fruit is ready to eat, see if yields to gentle pressure and soft touch. When buying mangoes, make sure that you do not buy fruit that is pulpy (too soft), or bruised.

The best way to ripen mangoes is to spread them out on the kitchen table at room temperature. To speed up the process, put the fruit in paper bags. If you buy mangoes that have been artificially ripened using gas, then do not eat them immediately. Refrigerate them for a few days before consumption. 

Mangoes are probably one of the few fruits that are available only during a particular season. Guess this combined with the passion lovers, have resulted in so many lip-smacking and delicious ways of preserving them. Dry them for pickles, dry and powder them for aamchur, chutneys, appalams, jams, jellies…oh! the list is endless. Go ahead and check out some yummy mango recipes you may like to try out for a truly delectable mango moment.

Sangita Kanjilal

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