If you haven’t seen yesterday’s “Tuesday’s Tip of the Day” post or watched my YouTube video showing you how to cut a mango, you may want to take a minute to do so. After all, with the abundance of juicy sweet mango at our local market, it’s almost certain you may find a few making their way to your basket.

Today I want to go beyond the kitchen and introduce you to the different varieties of mango, thanks to Mango.org for the content and pictures!

Ataulfos:

Overview: Ataulfos have a very small seed, so there is a high flesh to seed ratio.
Flavor: Sweet and creamy
Texture: Smooth, firm flesh with no fibers
Color: Vibrant yellow
Shape: Small, flattened oval shape
Ripening Cues: Skin turns to a deep golden color and small wrinkles appear when fully ripe. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness
Peak Availability: March to July
Primary Source Country: Mexico

Francis:

Overview: The Francis grows on small farms throughout Haiti
Flavor: Rich, spicy and sweet
Texture: Soft, juicy flesh with fibers
Color: Bright yellow skin with green overtones
Shape: Oblong and sigmoid S-shape
Ripening Cues: Green overtones diminish and the yellow becomes more golden as the Francis ripens. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness
Peak Availability: May to July
Primary Source Country: Haiti

Haden:

Overview: The fruiting of Haden mango in 1910 inspired the creation of a large-scale mango industry in South Florida. The industry has since then been greatly reduced by the impact of development and hurricanes
Flavor: Rich, with aromatic overtones
Texture: Firm flesh due to fine fibers
Color: Bright red with green and yellow overtones and small white dots
Shape: Medium to large with an oval to round shape
Ripening Cues: Green areas of the mango turn to yellow as it ripens. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness
Peak Availability: April and May
Primary Source Country: Mexico

Keitt:

Overview: Keitts are popular in Asian cultures, where they are enjoyed in its mature-green stage or even as pickles
Flavor: Sweet and fruity
Texture: Firm, juicy flesh with limited fibers
Color: Dark to medium green, sometimes with a pink blush over a small portion of the mango
Shape: Large oval shape
Ripening Cues: Skin stays green even when ripe. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness
Peak Availability: August and September
Primary Source Countries: Mexico, United States

Kent:

Overview: Originating from Florida in the 1940’s, Kents are ideal mangos for juicing and drying.
Flavor: Sweet and rich
Texture: Juicy, tender flesh with limited fibers
Color: Dark green and often has a dark red blush over a small portion of the mango
Shape: Large oval shape
Ripening Cues: Kents have yellow undertones or dots that cover more of the mango as it ripens. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness.
Peak Availability: January to March and June to August
Primary Source Countries: Mexico, Ecuador, Peru

Tommy Atkins:

Overview: Hailing originally from Florida, Tommy Atkins is the most widely grown commercial variety coming into the United States
Flavor: Mild and sweet
Texture: Firm flesh due to fibers throughout
Color: A dark red blush often covers much of the fruit with green and orange-yellow accents
Shape: Medium to large with oval or oblong shape
Ripening Cues: This mango may not provide any visual cues. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness
Peak Availability: March to July and October to January
Primary Source Countries: Mexico, Guatemala

Other Varieties:

Alphonse – This Indian variety is a mild flavored, firm fleshed mango which can range from purple to yellow skin with an oblong shape
Edward – This sweet and spicy flavored, fiberless mango can range from pink to yellow skin with a round or oblong shape
Kesar – This Indian variety is a sweet flavored, fiberless mango which can range from green to yellow skin with a round shape
Manila – This sweet flavored, fiberless mango can range from orange to yellow to pink skin with a slender shape
Palmer – This mild flavored, firm fleshed mango can range from purple to red to yellow skin with an oblong shape

Now that you are aware of all the different varieties of mango to keep your eye out for, its time to head into your kitchen and put them to use!

For other terrific tips and hundreds of recipes, including several that feature mango like Ginger Mango Chutney, Pickled Mangos, Mango Salsa or even Pineapple-Mango Smoothie, visit my website (thetabletogether.com). While there, consider “subscribing” and I will send a new tip or blog post directly to your inbox every Tuesday and Wednesday morning!

P.S. Make sure you check out my YouTube channel, The Table Together with Tiffany Lewis, solely dedicated to bringing all of these fantastic tips and recipes to life!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around The Table Together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

Wednesday's In the Know: Varieties of Mango