            Recipes > Ingredient Archive > Mangos  Why Choose Organic? The Environmental Working Group lists mangos as one of the fruits least likely to be contaminated with pesticides — but choosing organic is always the best way to ensure that no toxic chemicals have been used on the fruit you eat. Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, using methods that build healthy soil and protect our air and water. Not only is it better for the environment — we think organic tastes better, too!
• Mâche Salad with Raspberries and Mangos If there were ever an excuse for excess, it would probably be the mango. Luscious, juicy, sweet, and succulent, the mango is often called “the king of fruit.” Mangos originated in India over 4,000 years ago. Legend holds that the Buddha found tranquility in a mango grove, and the tree is considered sacred in its native land. Today, the fruit is grown in every country that falls within the temperate latitudes, in over 2,500 varieties and a range of shapes and colors. Mangos are the most widely eaten fruit in the world and are an important staple in tropical climates. Here in the US, only California and Florida are warm enough year-round for commercial cultivation.  Selecting Mangos All mangos are green when unripe — but some stay green even when they’re ripe, and others turn yellow, gold, or bright red, so color isn’t necessarily an indication of ripeness. Look for:
Avoid fruit with loose, shriveled skin or off odors; that fruit is past its prime. If your mangos aren’t ripe yet, leave them at cool room temperature for a few days, or place in a paper bag to speed ripening. Once ripened, enjoy your mangos immediately or refrigerate them for a day or two — otherwise, they’ll ferment and spoil rapidly due to their high sugar content. Mangos can be divided into two broad categories distinguished by their shapes: Indian and Philippine (also called Indochinese). Indian mangos are round or oval-shaped, with brightly colored skins. Philippine mangos are pale green and kidney-shaped. Unfortunately, in US markets mangos are rarely identified by variety. Not all mangos are created equal; some varieties are more prized than others. The most common mango is the Tommy Atkins, followed by the Keitt, Kent, and Haden varieties. These mangos fall into the Indian category and are fairly large, oval-shaped fruits. Tommy Atkins is widely available, with a very mild flavor and more fibrous flesh than the other varieties. If you have a choice, choose Kent mangos. These large, oval fruits are almost fiber-free, with a sweet, buttery flesh. When ripe, their skin is yellow with red shoulders. A favorite Philippine/Indonesian variety, Ataulfo, is small, flat, and somewhat kidney-shaped. It turns completely yellow when ripe, and is one of the sweetest, most aromatic of all mangos available in this country. Best of all, it’s largely fiber-free. Look for it in late March through May. Mangos are available most of the year, but the peak selection happens from March through August, as each variety comes into its own distinct season. If you have a chance, try them all! Eating a mango can be a messy business, and it’s best done standing over a sink if you’re in a hurry! Fortunately, there’s an easy and attractive way to prepare this fruit. Mangos have a large, flat central seed that clings to the flesh. The seed is as long as the fruit itself and is generally an inch or so thick. Stand the mango on one of its ends. With a sharp knife cut from the top down, keeping the knife blade parallel to and as close to one side of the seed as possible to release the mango “cheek,” as it’s called in culinary parlance. Repeat on the other side of the seed. (Any flesh that remains on the seed is for the cook’s pleasure!) With a small paring knife, score the flesh of each cheek in parallel cuts, then cut crosswise to make small squares, taking care not to cut through the skin. Push against the outside of the mango skin to flip the fruit inside-out, allowing the flesh to pop up in neat cubes of fruit just begging to be eaten. To release the flesh for use in recipes (or for more decorous eating), carefully undercut the squares with a small knife. Although mangos are heavenly on their own, their flowery fragrance and butter-soft flesh is also wonderful in salsas, jams, chutneys, salads, cakes, breads, mousses, cocktails, sauces, and ice creams. When it comes to mangos, at least, gluttony is excusable. Delicious and Good for You, Too 
In addition to being utterly rich and delicious, mangos offer good nutrition (exact nutrient content can vary significantly from one variety to another).
Some people are sensitive to a resin present in the skin of mangos, so peeling the fruit is recommended.
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