Are All Mangoes Created Equal? Delicious Mango Varieties
June 21, 2011
Are all Mangoes created equal? Try some of the many varieties and experience the variations in flavor, sweetness and texture.
With over a thousand varieties of mangoes in the world, not all them taste the same or offer the same quality. Sample some of the many varieties available at your local produce markets and experience for yourself the varying levels of sweetness and fiber content.
Even though several varieties exist, don’t count on your local supermarket to offer more than one or two. The ‘Tommy Adkins’ variety of mango is most commonly found in supermarkets and is often picked too soon in order to be shipped around the country.
Do yourself a favor this mango season and try some new varieties from your local growers and farmers markets.
Give these mango varieties a try:
- Kent – Grown in Florida, has a deep orange flesh, flavor is very sweet and rich. A larger mango up to two pounds in weight.
- Keitt – Another popular Florida grown mango that is available later in the season. Its flavor has the taste of peach and vanilla, hints of lime, coconut and berries.
- Baileys Marvel – This mango is firm, has no fiber and has a tangy and sweet flavor. Fruits are 1 to 2 pounds with a peachy blush color. Early to mid-season.
- Valencia Pride – This is one of the more popular mango varieties sold in Florida. The flavor is sweet, aromatic, firm and has no fiber. Never a bad choice.
- Haden – This is one of the first mango cultivars selected in Florida. Haden is a beautifully colored mango with a full sweet flavor. Early season variety.
- Glenn – This variety is a seedling of Haden and is also a Florida favorite. The flavor is slightly peachy and very sweet. Most popular early season mango.
- Nam Doc Mai – This is a delicious variety introduced to Florida from Thailand. It is one of the most desired varieties of Asian mangoes. The fruit is firm, aromatic, has no fiber and is very sweet and is available from June to July.
- Edward – This variety has no fiber, is very sweet and aromatic. It is considered to be one of the finer tasting varieties of Florida mangoes. Golden yellow in color with a reddish blush available from June to July.
The Edison & Ford Estates sells fresh mangoes in season every Thursday at the downtown Ft. Myers Farmers Market from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. We also have a variety of mango trees available for sale in our Garden Shoppe so you can grow your own mangoes in your backyard.
