April to June swell time for mango lovers
Published on: Sunday, June 16, 2019
By: Eskay Ong
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Looks like mangoes are visible everywhere in the months of April, May and June with lots of them for sale in the market, supermarket, gerai-gerai and even along roadsides. This is not to overlook the fact that there are still countless numbers of them hanging from tree branches irrespective of whether they are cultivated or growing in the wild.
Even though mangoes may be plentiful in the local scene, the prices though, have not sunk through the floor yet.
However, no one has ever yet heard of that level of price. A look around outlets where such fruits are sold is sufficient to confirm that prices of mangoes have remained high compared to previous years and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
The bad news is that it may shoot up in the decades to come. Right now, harumanis mangoes are selling at around RM20 per kg, while apple mango, alphonso and mulgoa are going at between RM6 to RM12 per kg, depending on size and quality. Even the manga air are going for a few ringgit per heap of several fruits. However, the rejects, crushed, crimpled, malformed or shrivelled fruits of all varieties may still be had for a song.
As a matter of fact, most of these fruits are from outside the state as only small numbers are cultivated locally. That leaves only manila mango which has a true production base in all the districts of the state.
Over the years, it has grown into the single most widely cultivated mango which can be seen in almost every corner where there are human habitation. Thanks to its widespread cultivation and easy availability, the manila mango must have won hands down in terms of popularity and ease of consumption because actually no tools are required to wolf down the fruit compared to, say, durians or coconuts.
Mangoes provide a most welcome sight to virtually everyone including the young and the old. Even toothless toddlers love to chomp on the sweet, soft and fragrant pulp, which is most effective to stop howlings and bawlings. For obviously, this is the fruit that nobody can say no to as one gets drawn in by the aromatic fruity fragrance that pervades the atmosphere wherever the ripe fruits may be.
Few people may be aware that not only are humans great fans of mangoes, even many animals such as monkeys, tortoises, field mice, birds and slugs, among others, do steal a bite or more if the situation permits. In many cases, ripe mango fruits drop onto the ground when there is a little wind, and if no one picks them up, those animals will, especially where the ground is a little messy and untidy which contributes to its suitability for pests such as field mice to sneak around.
It is amazing how the latter works in such a situation. When a fruit drops, there is a thud whose vibration is detected by the animal. It then starts to track the location of the drop, aided by the tantalising aroma emitted by the ripe fruit. Once located, it will start to drag the fruit to a safe and obscure spot, and that will spell the end of the plump juicy mango.
The mango is a fleshy drupe with a high degree of variability in size, shape and colour. Different cultivars yield significantly different fruit sizes which may vary from a marble-sized 5cm to more than 20cm long, with the larger ones weighing from 1-2 kilograms or more.
Fruit shape may vary from round to oval, to long and slender, and they may be compressed laterally.
The fruit of certain cultivars may carry a distinct projection or beak to give it a curved look. The fruit shape of manila mangoes is usually oval and slightly elongated with the length to width ratio mostly in the range of 3:2. There is no particular beak or sharp point nor is the lateral compression distinctly striking.
Prior to fruit formation, mango flowers usually appear during the onset of the dry season. The flowers are set in large panicles that are usually pinkish red to yellowish white in colour.
On such trusses are hundreds of little flowers the larger portion of which will drop to the ground even before the signs of tiny fruitlets can be seen. This is a good deed by nature because it selects and leaves only the best and fittest to grow on to become the plump juicy thing that we call mango.
The flavour of the manila mango is so tantalising and mouth-watering that it cannot be accurately described, but it promises to be juicy, sweet, aromatic, succulent and appealing. The sweet, fragrant aroma is bound to tickle your olfactory organs into such a frenzy of activity that your palates will very soon be dripping wet with saliva. From then on, there will be nothing to prevent the plump mango from being wolfed down.
A typical flower truss on a healthy mature tree may end up carry up to 10-15 fruits of various sizes but usually about half that number will fall to the ground long before maturity. Many of such small immature fruits are often collected, washed and cleaned, and then sliced longitudinally often with the skin on.
Depending on the method used, such slices are then marinated in salt to be followed by immersing them in a concoction variously made up of vinegar, chilli, garlic, light sauce, cinnamon powder or sticks, pepper, and so on. It is normal for people in different kampungs to add in differing ingredients but the end result is the same – that is to be eaten as a jaruk (jeruk) or pickle as a stand-alone titbit, or else consumed together with other dishes during mealtimes.
What an ingenious way to prevent food/fruit wastage and to help the creative to concoct various delectable dishes from the bounties of nature!
A truss of mango fruits.
Mangoes in human dietary habit
A typical mango fruit when sliced lengthwise into half, may reveal a clear separation of the different sections. These appear like imperfect concentric circles starting from the fruit skin right down to the core that is the seed.
In many mango varieties, the epicarp or external layer of skin is almost always green, yellowish or reddish purple. There is no other colour such as turquoise or blue. The skin is edible but a little chewy and crunchy as in pickles which makes for a good supply of organic fibre for the body’s alimentary tract.
Beneath the epicarp of the mango fruit is the thick fleshy layer known as the mesocarp. This is the one layer that all fruit lovers would ogle at and would not mind the least bit to sink their teeth into it. In the manila mango, mesocarps are very soft, sweet and tender with very little visible fibre. If the fibres are very prominent upon slicing open the fruit, then the pulp would not melt so readily inside the mouth. The contents of the mesocarp normally constitute about 70-80pc of the volume of the entire fruit, with the rest being taken up by the skin or epicard, and the pit.
In the cross-section of the manila mango, the smallest portion is taken up by the fruit pit. This is also known as the stone which is made up of a hard woody endocarp layer and the seed in the centre of it all. The endocarp is so tough it is very difficult to cut through with the ordinary fruit or kitchen knife. So usually, the pit is left alone and discarded after having been picked clean using either teeth or tongue. You will be amazed at how capable and efficient people can be when it comes to extracting the last morsel of pulp or the last drop of juice just by looking at the discards.
Among consumers, apart from papayas and bananas, mangoes still constitute a large portion among the fruits that are consumed, mainly because it is easily available although quite seasonal. It is also popular because the price is comparatively reasonable unlike imported fruits such as apples and cherries.
That being the case, mangoes are never sold in singles but instead they are usually laid out in heaps or tumpuk which goes for RM3 to RM5 per heap of five to seven fruits for the small ones, and around RM10.00 per heap of four to five fruits if the fruits are large, plump and fragrant and without the scratches or mushy feel.
By any standard, manila mango fruits are not very large. Most of the fruits are in the range of length 9-10cm with a weight that ranges from 180-200gm each for the smaller ones, and up to 250gm each for those that are 10-12cm long.
Those that can attain a length of 15cm could be considered as huge, which is quite rare to come by.
It is the standard practice for consumers to hold the fruit and put it near to his nose to test the fragrance as that is the yardstick by which fruit maturity is measured. It is also the norm for buyers to lightly fondle and squeeze the fruits as softness reveals its stage of ripeness and therefore its readiness to be consumed. But the vendor will try to discourage heavy squeezing because it is feared that by the end of the day a thousand hands would have squashed the fruit into a useless rotten mushy pulp that nobody wants.
Surprisingly, mangoes are quite nutritive and filling too although by itself, it is not a complete food. It is true that gorging in several large mangoes in one sitting may be so filling that it becomes quite impossible to partake of the normal meals such as lunch or dinner where the components are more balanced. Such a practice is quite unhealthy and may contribute to health problems if done one too many times. Mangoes may be good to see and nice to eat, but it is necessary to always be on the watch out for the amount of substances that are sucked up by the body system.
There are many varieties of mangoes that are cultivated out there, and this includes our favourite manila mango. As such, the values of the nutritional composition in any analysis may vary to varying degrees, such as between varieties, between different areas of cultivation, between different agronomic practices, and so on.
Generally, the mango is a very well-endowed fruit with a good number of vitamins, minerals, fibres, etc. The main vitamins are Vitamins A and C, as well as the B vitamins. The amount of fat and cholesterol is negligible which is good news for the weight-conscious folks. Unfortunately, the sugar content is quite appreciable, which is the reason why mangoes taste so sweet. For every 100 gram serving of the edible portion of mango, the sugar content comes up to about 14 gm, plus or minus a wee bit. This amount is slightly higher than the sugar content found in a stick of Nescafe Blend and Brew although it is still way below that in many brands of 3-in-1 white coffee.
So, for mango lovers out there, make sure consumption is controlled if you have a high blood sugar level.
Having your own mango trees
It is a very fortunate situation for many house owners in the state to own landed properties. Never mind if it is an orchard, or a bungalow with a large piece of attached land, or even the compact and practical terrace house where there is a piece of frontyard land as well as in the backyard. The important point is that there is a piece of firm ground on which to grow something, including the wonderful mango tree. Within the state, it looks like this is the actual scenario as most houses have one or two mango trees within the property. This ensures that come fruiting season, there will be plenty of mangoes to go around without forking out appreciable sums to buy them in the market.
Most front yard or backyard growers of mangoes usually start by buying a couple of budded saplings from a trustworthy supplier, or alternatively, grafted saplings may also be used. When mature, these form smaller trees compared to seed-grown ones. This is perfect as smaller trees fit in well within the small confines of city dwellings. Given time, however, they may still grow bigger to attain heights of 5-8 metres.
As the crown grows larger and thicker, it tends to form a comfortable home for many kinds of birds and insects. Some birds such as merbuk (Zebra Dove – Wikipedia) and sparrows enjoy roosting in its cool shade during the heat of the day.
Sometimes, white egrets also drop by to have a cool respite. And a host of various kinds of insects such as bees, wasps, beetles, among others, can often be seen hovering within or outside the thick shade of the tree. Such an ecology is normal and should be considered healthy except that on many occasions, the trees especially the older ones becomes susceptible to attacks by beetles such as stem or branch borers.
It is fairly common to see apparently healthy green trees with a branch or two of brown dead twigs and leaves. This is a sign that the tree has been infested and attacked by mango tree borers. It is the larvae of such borers that do the most damaging work of causing branch or stem deaths and breakages.
These little caterpillars feed and gorge themselves up by chewing on the tissues within the stems or branches and as they go on, a little hollow or tunnel is created. It is a matter of time that such structures become dry and weakened and then finally it snaps.
This problem although not deadly, is quite widespread. The use of chemicals may be able to control the pest but this is not recommended as the toxicity is generally not acceptable. To maintain good neighbourly relations, property owners and gardening enthusiasts will try to avoid this route. This will result in less fodder for negative “yak-yak-yak” sessions.
Physical control may help to a certain extent especially if the mango tree is still reachable and not too tall. This is through the use of a length of wire as a probe to kill, injure or drag out the pest from the tunnel which may hopefully stop further damage. By looking out for the crass thrown out and deposited at the tunnel entrance, it is possible to locate the hiding hole of the pest.
Another method is through the use of smoke to drive away the insect pests, which, incidentally, is quite often done in faraway or isolated locations where are few inhabitants in between. In town it is not advisable to try smoking away the pesky insects as smoke can be quite annoying to neighbours. Some people could even interpret that as an attempt to try to smoke them out of their homes. Moreover, officers of the department of environment may soon appear at your door.
But there is still another way to reduce the problem, and that is through phytosanitary means. This simply means keeping the surroundings clean as well as removing and getting rid of fallen branches, twigs and fallen trunks so there is no home for the pests.
Overall, growing mangoes is indeed a very productive and rewarding experience. If you have some green space left irrespective of whether it is the front yard or backyard, this is the best time to get cracking to fulfil your urban gardening dreams.
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