It’s probably safe to say that the majority of Americans and Canadians would say apples or bananas if asked what fruit is the most popular in the world. While that response would be expected, it is wildly inaccurate.
Mango consumption is three times greater than that of bananas and ten times greater than that of apples, which surprises most North Americans. Although mangoes are still considered to be exotic fruits in America, ranking as number 24 of the top 25 fruits consumed in the US, they are considered to be staples in India, South Asia, China, and Latin America; often being referred to as “the king of the fruits”. Evidently, those in the various remote corners of the globe have discovered something that North Americans have yet to learn!
Mangoes come in over 2,000 different varieties and sizes ranging from a few ounces to four pounds. Their nutritional value is one thing they all have in common; mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins C and E, niacin, potassium, iron, and beta carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A.
The mango has a distinctive and delectable flavor and is a very juicy, sweet fruit when it is fresh and ripe. Some mangoes resemble an overripe plum in their soft, pulpy texture while other mangoes have a firmer, cantaloupe-like texture.
Chutney, fruit bars, cereal products, juices, pies, ice creams, and even milkshakes are all dishes that use mangoes frequently. They can be enjoyed by simply slicing the fruit as you would a peach or pear, despite being a little messy due to their high juice content.
Now that we are aware of the fruit that is consumed the most globally, we must ascertain where these mangoes originate. In spite of the fact that mangoes are grown all over the tropics, India is the world’s biggest producer and consumer. Mango trees have actually been a sign of social status in India for more than 6,000 years. Other South Asian nations and portions of Australia follow India in importance. Mangoes didn’t arrive in parts of Africa, South America, Hawaii, or Mexico until the 19th century.
Mango exports from India to the US have been inactively negotiated for many years, but recently, a few agreements have been finalized, paving the way for their export. They agree to let the US export peas, beans, almonds, and, would you believe it, Harley Davidson motorcycles to India in exchange. Currently, about 80% of mangoes that are imported into the US and Canada are from Mexico, with the majority of those mangoes being grown in the Mexican state of Nayarit, which is on the same latitude as Hawaii.
One of Mexico’s 31 states, Nayarit, is bordered to the south by the state of Jalisco and is situated along the Pacific Ocean. Puerto Vallarta, a stunning tourist destination and retirement community, is located on the border of these two states, with Nuevo Vallarta in Nayarit and El Centro, the city’s central business district, in Jalisco. The Riviera Nayarit is a stretch of pristine and magnificent Pacific coastline in the state of Nayarit, and Puerto Vallarta is at the northern end of the Mexican Riviera. Riviera Nayarit is a term that was just recently coined by Fonatur, the National Tourism and Development Board of Mexico. Interesting to note is that Fonatur recently set aside billions of dollars for a 15-year development program that will include more than 20,000 new condos and villas along with the necessary infrastructure. Mexico is the third-largest producer of mangoes after China and India, and the entire region is surrounded by orchards where 1.5 million metric tons of mangoes are grown annually.
We decided to relocate to Vallarta in 1997 after spending two or three weekends there annually for 15 years as vacationers. Vallarta is now where we will spend the rest of our lives. In what is referred to as the Beverly Hills of Vallarta, we purchased our ideal home perched high on a mountainside with a panoramic view of Banderas Bay. The landscaping of the ½ acre mountainside lot was one of our first tasks. It was challenging and a little overwhelming to choose plants because there were so many tropical flowers and fruit trees available.
After 55 years in the United States, we were essentially unaware of the benefits that mangoes could provide. We chose to try them nonetheless because they were so common in the nearby supermarkets. We were shocked to discover that they were incredibly tasty—possibly better than any fruit we had ever eaten! It’s difficult to believe that we went a lifetime without eating mangoes and that so many other North Americans missed out on this experience now that we’ve had a steady supply of mangoes for ten years.
Now let’s get back to the landscaping job. We learned about the many health benefits that mangoes provide and after making the decision to plant some, we were directed to a nursery in Nayarit, about 10 miles from our house. The nursery was situated on the edge of a vast mango orchard, where mango trees grew in every direction.
We were given a brief overview of mangoes by the proprietors of the orchard/nursery, who also briefly described the variations of mangoes grown there. They questioned us after the presentation about why we were purchasing mango trees. We told them that we adored mangoes’ flavor and that we were landscaping our new yard and felt it would be nice to have access to fresh mangoes. They suggested we save the time, hassle, and money by just helping ourselves to the mangoes, as is so customary in Mexico, rather than selling us some mango trees. They showed us the orchard and said there were countless mangoes there, and we could have as many as we wanted for no cost. If we needed assistance, they would even help us fill up the car! However, we do have an endless supply of those delicious mangoes despite never having purchased those trees!
That was one of the first things we discovered about Mexican hospitality when we arrived in Vallarta. It’s not surprising that Puerto Vallarta was named the friendliest resort location in the world by Conde Nast readers in a recent poll. It’s likely that the region’s ideal climate is one of the reasons why it’s so friendly. In addition to being ideal for mangoes, it is also ideal for its inhabitants, with an average daily temperature of 73°F for seven months of the year.
In conclusion, if you want to sample some of the most well-liked fruits in the world, you might want to travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the most well-liked resort city in the world, and have a blast while sipping a mango margarita!