by Jims Vincent Capuno
It has finally been confirmed. In a survey this author conducted recently, mango is the top favorite tropical fruit. More than 50% of the 70 respondents interviewed via e-mail and text messaging chose mango as the “fruit of all seasons”.
Dr. Marimel Yap-Veloso, consultant ophthalmologist at the Asian Eye Institute in Makati City, reasons out: “Mango is sweet and satisfying – and it has great texture, too! It’s great on cakes, pies and as a juice or shake. It’s a versatile fruit. The green variety is also delicious with fish and bagoong.”
Lionel Tierra, a Filipino who now lives in California, prefers ripe mango. “It is succulent, sweet and heavenly to the taste,” he wrote. “I’ve tried durian, star apple and atis, among others – they are all very good to the taste, but mango, to me, is still the best. Mango is like my best friend and sweetheart. All other fruits are just good friends and acquaintances.”
When it comes to mango, Philippine mangoes are the number one. “They are the best in the world,” said Dr. Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go, executive director of The Zuellig Foundation, Inc. Dr. Yap-Veloso echoed the same sentiment, “I’ve tried mangoes from Mexico and other countries – nothing comes close to the Philippine mango.”
Larry Stoffel, an American who is married to a Filipino, confirmed this. “The rich, juicy flavored mango from the Philippines is the most fantastic fruit I have ever tasted,” he enthused. “It’s true that we import mangoes from other countries, but those imports cannot duplicate the mangoes I have eaten in Bohol. I miss the mangoes and can’t wait until I can have some more when I go back there.”
Scientists call it Mangifera indica. However, it has many varieties – piko, kalabaw, pahutan, to name a few. It grows all over Asia and South America, where it is eaten in various ways: pickled, sweetened, dried, carameled, or, as in the Philippines, raw with bagoong. But these descriptions are unnecessary to a Filipino because, to him, a mango is either kalabaw or piko, ripe or unripe.
The country is known for its “Manila Super Mango” because of its taste which until now is “still unmatched.” Former agriculture secretary Leonardo Q. Montemayor says the variety has found its way to the Guinness Book of Records as the sweetest of its kind in the world.
Filipinos are urged to eat more mangoes these days — for health’s sake. “Mango has three times the vitamin C of a single orange or apple and important minerals essential to prevent cancer and other diseases,” hails Dr. Martin Hirte, a German health food researcher and pediatrician.
The German physician also found that mango contains minerals that are vital for pregnant mothers and stressed-out people. “The calcium and magnesium of mango relaxes the muscles, relieves stress and prevents miscarriage,” Dr. Hirte wrote in his research paper entitled, The Benefits of Mango for Human Health.
Health experts claim mango contains antioxidants and essential nutrients like potassium, copper and 17 amino acids. The peel contains pigments that may have antioxidant properties, including carotenoids and polyphenols, any of which may counteract the free radicals that cause diseases.
A study from the Institute of Nutritional Science at the University of Potsdam in Germany in 2003 found that infant mice whose diets were supplemented with beta carotene and vitamin A had higher levels of proteins that make up the immune system.
Eating foods rich in beta carotene may be a powerful weapon in the fight against heart disease. In one study in the United States, a large group of male doctors with heart trouble took 50 milligrams of beta carotene every other day. Compared with men who took nothing, they had almost half the number of heart attacks and strokes.
Recently, scientists at the Texas A&M University discovered cancer retardants in the delicious mango fruit. The extract of mango, a naturally sweet tropical fruit, can prevent, if not stop, the growth of cancer cells, especially breast and colon cancer.
The American researchers released the result of their study saying the mango extracts “demonstrated some cancer-fighting abilities when tested on lung, leukemia and prostrate cancer cells.”
When tested on breast and colon cancer cells, they had an even more robust anti-cancer effect. “In fact, the mango extracts caused the breast cancer and colon cancer cells to undergo apoptosis or programmed cancer cell death,” they wrote.
Ripe mangoes are eaten fresh as a dessert or processed into dried mangoes, puree, juice, concentrate, shakes, and many more. When eaten green, they are a tasty treat for lovers of sour fruits as they are usually dipped in salt, fermented fish, or shrimp (bagoong). Green mangoes are also pressed into juice and shakes.
Mango is also used to make juices, both in ripe and unripe form. Pieces of fruit can be mashed and used in ice cream or blended with milk and ice to make thick milkshakes. In Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, sweet glutinous rice is flavored with coconut then served with sliced mango on top as a dessert.
