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It’s probably safe to say that when asked which fruit is the most popular fruit in the world, most Americans and Canadians would answer apples or bananas. That answer would be normal, but far from accurate.
To the astonishment of most Americans, mangoes are eaten worldwide by a factor of three to one over bananas and ten to one over apples. Although mangoes are still considered exotic fruits in the United States, ranking as number 24 of the top 25 fruits eaten in the US, they are considered staple foods in India, South Asia, China, and Latin America; it is often referred to as “the king of fruits”. Obviously, those in many far corners of the world have learned something that has yet to be discovered in North America!
There are more than 2,000 different varieties of mangoes that range in size from a few ounces to four pounds. One thing they all have in common is their nutritional value; Mangoes are a fantastic source of vitamins C and E, niacin, potassium, iron, and beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body.
The fresh and ripe mango is a very juicy and sweet fruit with a unique and delicious flavor. Some mangoes have a smooth, fleshy texture similar to an overripe plum, while others have a firmer flesh similar to that of a melon.
Mangoes are widely used in chutneys, fruit bars, cereal products, juices, cakes, ice cream, and even milk shakes. Although they do make a bit of a mess due to their high juice content, they can be enjoyed simply by slicing the fruit like you would a peach or pear.
Well, now that we know what the most popular fruit in the world is, we need to determine where in the world these mangoes come from. Mangoes are grown in the tropics, but India is by far the largest producer and consumer of mangoes in the world. In fact, for over 6,000 years, mango trees have been a status symbol in India. Behind India are other areas within South Asia and parts of Australia. It wasn’t until the 19th century that mangoes were introduced to parts of Africa, South America, Hawaii, and Mexico.
For years India has been unsuccessfully negotiating for the export of mangoes to the US, however recently some deals have been finalized paving the way for the export of mangoes from India to the US in return. , they will allow the US to export peas, beans, almonds and believe me, Harley Davidson motorcycles to India. Of the mangoes currently arriving in the US and Canada, approximately 80% comes from Mexico, with the majority grown in the Mexican state of Nayarit, which is located at the same latitude as Hawaii.
Nayarit, one of the 31 states of Mexico, is located along the Pacific Ocean and has its southern border with the state of Jalisco. The beautiful tourist destination and retirement community of Puerto Vallarta is located on the border of these two states with its downtown area or El Centro located in Jalisco and Nuevo Vallarta located in Nayarit. Puerto Vallarta is located at the northern end of the Mexican Riviera and recently, Fonatur, Mexico’s National Board of Tourism and Development, has coined the term Riviera Nayarit for that section of the pristine and majestic Pacific coast in the state of Nayarit. As a note of interest, Fonatur recently earmarked billions of dollars for a 15-year development program that will include more than 20,000 new condominiums and villas with associated infrastructure. This entire area is surrounded by mango orchards where approximately 1.5 million metric tons of mangoes are grown annually, making Mexico the third largest producer of mangoes after India and China.
After vacationing in Vallarta two to three times a year for 15 years, we decided to move there in 1997 and make Vallarta our permanent retirement destination. We bought our dream villa on the mountainside with a panoramic view of Banderas Bay in an area known as the Beverly Hills of Vallarta. One of our first projects was to landscape the ½ acre lot on the mountainside. With an abundance of tropical flowers and fruit trees available, the choice of plants was difficult and somewhat overwhelming.
After living in the United States for 55 years, we were practically unaware of the qualities that mangoes had to offer. However, due to their abundance in local supermarkets, we decided to give them a try. To our surprise, they were absolutely delicious; perhaps better than any fruit we have tried! A decade later, after enjoying a steady supply of mangoes for ten years, it’s hard to imagine that we went a lifetime without enjoying mangoes and that so many other North Americans have missed out on the experience as well.
Okay, back to the landscaping project. Being introduced to the many beneficial qualities mangoes offered, we decided to plant some mango trees and were directed to a nursery in Nayarit, about 10 miles from home. The nursery was located on the edge of a huge mango orchard where mangoes grew as far as the eye could see.
The orchard/nursery owners gave us a short presentation on mangoes, briefly highlighting the differences between the varieties grown there. After the presentation, they asked us why we were buying mango trees. We informed them that we loved the taste of mangoes and that we were fixing up our new garden and thought it would be nice to have fresh mangoes available. As is so typical in Mexico, instead of selling us a few mango trees, they suggested that we save ourselves the time, hassle, and money and just help ourselves to the mangoes. They pointed to the orchard and pointed out that there were millions of mangoes and that we could have as much as we wanted for free; they would even help us fill up the car if we needed help! We never buy those trees, but we have an unlimited supply of those delicious mangoes!
That was one of our first lessons learned in Vallarta when it came to Mexican hospitality. It’s no surprise that Puerto Vallarta was selected as the friendliest tourist destination in the world by a recent survey of Conde Nast readers. One of the reasons for the friendliness of the area is probably due to its perfect climate. Not only is it perfect for mangoes, but with an average daily temperature of 73°F for seven months of the year, it’s perfect for its residents.
In short, if you’re interested in trying some of the world’s most popular fruits, you might want to visit the world’s most popular tourist destination, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and have some real fun while you sip on your mango margarita. !