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Young World
Monarch of fruits
G.V. RAMANA RAO
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Here’s the sweet symbol of summer.
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PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR
Fruit of the gods: The mango
VIJAYAWADA
Summer holidays are not complete without mangoes. Starting with ‘Ugadi Pachchadi’, the special delicacy prepared on Telugu New Year Day, there are many dishes, in which mango is used as a flavouring agent. Mango finds its way into most dishes and even desserts. There is no Telugu homestead that doesn’t prepare ‘Avakkai’, the pickle.
There are over 1,000 different varieties of mangoes in the world. The fruit comes in different shapes, sizes and colours depending on the ripeness. The colours range from yellow to green to orange or red. The fruits weigh as little as a few ounces up to a few pounds. Horticultural experts say mango is native to southern Asia, especially Burma and Eastern India. It spread to the Malaya Archipelago, Eastern Asia and Eastern Africa. Mango was introduced to California in 1880. The tree lives for a long time with some specimens known to be over 300 years old and still fruiting.
Race to fame
The mango exists in two races, one from India and the other from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Indian race is intolerant to high humidity, with bright red new foliage that is subject to mildew bears fruit of high colour and regular form. The Philippine race tolerates excessive moisture and bears pale green and elongated kidney-shaped fruit.
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