Jamaicans have a passion for mango and during mango season, everyone gets to indulge, sometimes eating enough of the fruit to replace a meal.
Mangoes are so loved here, there’s even a folk song, called appropriately, Mango Time, that celebrates the delicious fruit, and up to a few years ago, there was a mango festival in the parish of Westmoreland.
Mango season starts around April or May and ends about July, though there is at least one variety, the Tommy Atkins, which comes in around September or October.
If you’re a mango lover and are planning to visit Jamaica in the next few months, you’ll be in mango heaven. Trees are laden with mangoes; they’ll be on sale at almost every roadside stall, and included in the breakfast buffet at your hotel. In the height of the season, the aroma of the ripened fruit will hang in the air.
Mangoes are native to South Asia, where they have been grown for more than 6,000 years. They were introduced to Jamaica in the 1700s after several varieties were discovered on a French ship that was destined for Hispaniola. The ship was captured at sea by Lord Rodney and the mangoes brought to the island.
Several varieties, some known by local names, can be found here. Among them are Bombay, which was introduced by Indian immigrants, East Indian, Julie or St. Julian, Haden, Graham, Turpentine, Tommy Atkins, and one I discovered last year, Sweetie Come Brush Me.
While mangoes grow all over the island, the parishes of St. Thomas, Clarendon, St. Elizabeth and St. Mary produce the most mangoes.
Each variety has its own texture, flavor, and degree of sweetness. The flesh of some is dense, while others is stringy.
Mangoes can be eaten when they are ripe, or green, when the pulp is cut into small pieces and salt and black pepper sprinkled on it.
The pulp of the mango contains vitamins A and C, B6, other B vitamins and other nutrients. The peel also contains minerals such as omega-3 and beta-carotene. A mango contains about 140 calories.
Mangoes are used to make ice cream, jellies, jams, chutney, cheese, pie, and punch. Green mangoes can be used as a meat tenderizer. The leaves are sometimes used to treat hypertension, diarrhea, insomnia and fever.
Types of Mangoes Found in Jamaica
Black or Blackie, Bastard, Bombay, East Indian, Graham, Greengage, Haden, Julie or St. Julien, Keith, Kent, Long, Millie, Number 7, Number 11, Red Jaw, Robin, Rose, Sweetie Come Brush Me, Tommy Atkins, and Turpentine
Is a Mango Ripe or Green?
Depending on the variety, mangoes can be green, yellow, red or a combination when they are ripe. To determine if a mango is ripe, squeeze the end or the ‘nose’ gently. There should be a slight ‘give.’ Ripe mangoes have a beautiful smell.
Freshly picked mangoes can be left on the kitchen counter or table for up to 5 days. Green mangoes can be ripened by placing them in a paper bag.
How to Peel a Mango
One way to peel a mango is to cut both ‘cheeks’ with a sharp knife, then cut the fleshy cheeks into squares – making it look like a ‘hedgehog.’
I use this method when I’m using the fruit in a salad. If not, I eat it by peeling off the skin with my teeth, like I used to as a child, the juice running down my arms. Yum! That’s part of the fun of eating a mango, I think.
Mango Punch
12 ripe mangoes
15 cups water
Juice of 2 limes
2 cups sugar
Peel mangoes, remove all the flesh and rub through a sieve. Add water, lime juice and sugar to the purée. Mix well, serve chilled or over crushed ice. Serves 8.
Do you love mangoes? What’s your favorite kind of mango?
This is my submission to Travel Photo Thursday, which is organized by Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.
For even more travel photos, please check out Becca’s Friday Daydreaming series at Rwethereyetmom. Hope to see you there!
You and I share a love of the same fruits due to our climates. Mangoes are my families all time favourite fruit. We like Bowen Specials the best (they grow near Bowen in Queensland). They are stringless with a deep complex flavour. They are our favourite for eating straight, but we will consume any variety of mango in salsas, drinks, icecream – you name it.
Now what about passionfruit???
Ok…I’m coming to Jamaica! I’ll go anywhere that mangoes are plentiful . I do love a good mango! It’s interesting how the different types do have distinctive flavours
If I have a ripe mango in front of me, I eat it as it is. No punch or salads with it.
😉 I’d walk more than a mile to get really good ones.
Oooh they look so good, I’ll have to try your mango drink too.
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Hi Marcia, this post made my day. Mango is my favorite fruit!! I eat it almost everyday. I’d love to come to Jamaica and pick the fruits directly from the trees. I can’t believe there’s so many varieties of them and with such pretty names. I also like your history bits about them.
My husband helped in Haiti after the earthquake, and he came home raving about in-season mangoes. Delicious!
While mangoes aren’t my favorite or usual fruit, I do enjoy them. I especially like to make a mango salsa to go with BBQ chicken! I had no ides how many different types of mangoes there are.
I love mangoes! Your post has made me yearn to have my fridge full of them, but we’re coming into winter in WA and our season is over. Loved the pics and you have just given me another reason to want to visit Jamaica! When I was backpacking years ago in Malawi, I was called The Mango Queen by fellow travellers – they are all I ate 😉
I look forward to mango season here in Canada every year. When I can’t get it fresh then I eat the dried stuff which isn’t as good but still better than nothing
When I’m in the Caribbean though I can eat it morning, noon and night!
I didn’t know there were so many different kinds of mangoes in Jamaica. Do they all taste different?
The punch sounds delicious! I will have to make some once it is mango season here – hopefully just a few more weeks!
I had no idea there were so many different kinds of mangoes.
Hi Marcia, well over here in Sydney mango season is over, tragedy! Our summers start when that rich mango scent starts to waft through the shops, it’s such a perfume, isn’t it?
Now there are few mangos in the shops and they’re very expensive. We don’t have them growing here in Sydney – boo hoo – but they’re grown widely further north.
Mangoes are my absolute favorite fruit! Love eating them ripe or hard and green. I grew up eating them and miss mango season and picking them off trees. Thanks for the Mango Punch recipe! I didn’t know all those other varieties and interesting mango names. I just knew green and what we call Manila Mango (yellow ones) 🙂
I love mangoes and could eat them all day long… I bet you get delicious ones there. 🙂
Eliz
I absolutely LOVE mangoes. One good thing about moving to Asia is that they are so much cheaper here than the imported ones in my Texas grocery store. I’ve even found one here that was huge — as big as my head. I guess I’ll have to make sure I hit Jamaica during mango season.
Loving your fruit posts, Marcia! They’re inspiring me to eat more fruits & veggies. Jamaicans take their mangoes seriously — cool that there’s even a song for them!
Mangoes rank right up there as one of my favourite fruits – in any way shape or form. I’d like to try Sweetie Come Brush Me – never heard of that one before.
I did make a mango pie once- quite good but time consuming.
Oh I love mangoes. I’ve tried quite a few types. I also like to eat the raw ones with salt and bit of pepper. It’s quite nice.
Gosh I love mangoes…unfortunately here in Australia, even during Mango season, one fruit is around 4.50 Australian dollars !!!!!
Mmm… wish we had a mango season. Though apples and raspberries aren’t bad either, can almost stretch out the window and grab an apple.
Oooh, that’s the best, Sophie – being able to reach out the window and grab a fruit or something else to eat. Super!
Wow, that’s pretty expensive. But come to think of it, I’ve paid close to $3 for one in the US.
I prefer being able to get them from the tree – they’re free and are allowed to ripen naturally.
Yay, glad to know you like the green ones with salt and pepper. Definitely delicious!
Sweetie Come Brush Me is one of the sweetest mangoes I’ve had and it’s not stringy, which is always a plus in my book.
I’ll have to try the mango pie – when I have some time.
I’m glad about that, Cathy. Do you get a lot of mangoes where you live?
I love fruits and have been eating quite a lot more of them since I’ve been here.
The best time to come is now, if you love mangoes. I would imagine you have quite a number of different varieties in Malaysia, Michele.
Wonder if that big one is the Tommy Atkins or Keitt. Those are the biggest ones I know.
Yes, we do. Lots of them! The best part is just walking out to the tree to pick them up.
You’re welcome, Mary.
I love that name – Manila Mango. Would be great to try one to see if it’s one of the varieties we have here.
Love that scent! It’s not that strong here yet but I’m looking forward to it — it’s the best part of the season.
Sorry they don’t grow in Sydney.
Yes, there are quite a few. I’d not be surprised if they come up with more.
Yes, fortunately, they all taste quite different. I’m glad you’re able to get fresh ones in Canada, so you get to make some punch.
Mangos!! So yummy! I can drink mango smoothie all day long and whenever I come home to visit my folks in Indonesia – that’s pretty much what I do 🙂
Yay, another mango lover! Love mango smoothies as well — I could have one now. Yum!
Thanks for leaving a comment, Jill.
Hahaha, The Mango Queen! You must have eaten a LOT of mangoes!
Do you have different varieties in WA? Glad you like the pics and I hope you get to Jamaica during the season and sample some of ours.
I’m glad you enjoy them, Debbie. Mango salsa is yummmyyy!
Good thing he helped out in Haiti but he didn’t bring some mangoes back with him? Too bad!
Thanks, Marisol, glad to hear that. Now’s a great time to visit, you’ll be able to pick any number of mangoes right off the tree. I was in the backyard yesterday and the East Indian tree is laden. Some of the fruits are about 2 feet off the ground!
Let me know what you think of the mango drink, BiTi.
Thanks for the invitation to the linky party, will join you this weekend?
Marcia
Hahaha, I know what you mean, Marlys, I’d do the same!
Wish I could send you some of what I have here.
Just make sure to come during mango season, Jenny. I’ll save some for you.
I think you’ll enjoy the different flavors.
Yes, we do, Jan. I Googled your Bowen Specials to see if there was something similar here. There isn’t but it’s in Florida so who knows, it might eventually come here. They sound delicious – I love stringless mangoes.
Funny you should ask about passionfruit. I saw some in the freezer last week and thought of writing about them in an upcoming post. I love passionfruit!
Mmmmmm, I love mangoes. I became addicted after visiting Costa Rica 2 years ago. Sadly, you don’t see too many fresh mangoes in London.
I have passionfruit growing over my chicken shed. We love the pulp and sliced banana spread over pavlova.:)
I love mangoes! The vitamins and minerals it brings! Not to mention the taste! Yum!
The ripe mangoes looks so delicious. I can even replace a single meal with just mangoes to eat.
They were, Dylann! It’s very doable as ripe fruits fall from trees daily and they only last for a few days.
It really is a super fruit, Stacey. Glad you like them.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Oooh, that sounds yummy. We usually make passionfruit juice or add it to other fresh fruit juices.
Growing it on your chicken shed might be best as it tends to take over other plants or trees. One of my cousins has it growing on a mango tree that it’s almost covered. Btw, I love that you have a chicken shed.
My family surprised me with them one Birthday or Christmas, can’t remember which, maybe ten years ago. Currently I have three hens, one grey, one red and one white/black. There is nothing like fresh eggs for breakfast, and watching them run around our garden in the afternoon 🙂
Oh, that’s too bad. I don’t know why I assumed you’d get fresh mangoes in London. Hope you get some while you’re travelling.
Oh, that was a lovely gift. We used to have chickens when I was growing up and we always had fresh eggs. I was very squeamish of them but I liked to pick up the eggs, especially when they were still a bit warm.
Lovely photo of the mango blossoms, Marcia. I was just at Kew Gardens, London, and revisited the gallery of paintings by Victorian adventuress and botanical artist Marianne North. This contemporary of Darwin visited Jamaica, producing many exquisite botanical paintings of the island’s flora. I could definitely replace a meal with mangoes, especially if they were freshly picked!
Oh this looks like heaven! I’m a huge mango lover, I eat mango almost every day.It’s just so delicious and versatile!
Lucky you and the mango feast! 🙂
Thanks, Elizabeth. I’m in mango heaven for the next few months.
It sure is! You’re lucky to be able to eat mango so often. I just finished the last of the ones I bought over the weekend and the those on the tree aren’t quite ready. I’m already having withdrawing symptoms!
Thanks, Lesley! Incidentally, we got several thousand species from Kew Gardens in the 1800s for our botanical garden here. Next time I’m in London, I’ll have to check the gallery out.
I know what you mean, they’re so tasty and filling. Hope you get some soon.
I have eaten so many mangoes that I have to take a break for a couple days. Best time of the year for sure. Especially with those ever scrumptious Julie mango!
I never tire of eating Julie, Jeremy. You’re right: they are scrumptious.
I’m going out in a few minutes to check the tree to see if any ripe ones are there. Breakfast time!
Thanks for your comment.
It is Mangolicious!! Simply wonderful Maricia! I am really tempted to visit Jamaica. I have a friend from India who keeps talking a lot about mangoes. The Alphonso Mango is known called the King of Mangoes. She keeps telling me about a raw mango drink which is a specialty. I will definitely tell her about your post. I am sure she will love it.
Several varieties of our mangoes come from India. I’ve never heard of the Alphonso but any mango that’s called the King of Mangoes has my attention. Wonder if she’s talking about a mango lassi? It’s to die for!
Thanks for sharing my post with your friend and I hope you get to Jamaica or India and have some mangoes soon!