To enjoy a nice fresh mango, even in Italy, just go to a well-stocked supermarket, reach the fruit and vegetable department and pick one from the basket. However, as with our local fruit, there are also various types of mango; indeed, on the basis of what mentioned by the competent bodies, the mango varieties are even several hundred.
In the face of biodiversity, mango cultivars are continuously hybridized and re-crossed to optimize pollination and agricultural production. Some are mono-embryonic and therefore should be used only and exclusively by grafting. One of these is even considered the "King of Mango"; we are talking about the famous "Alphonso" (from Alphonso de Albuquerque).
This heterogeneity among the various types of mango is not completely reckless; where certain varieties excel, others do not grow, and vice versa. In this way it is possible to guarantee the production of the fruit in different areas (for latitude and longitude), or to counteract microorganisms and parasites that afflict sensitive cultivars replacing them with other selected ones. For example, the Indian "Juli", which survives brilliantly even in Jamaica, does not produce brilliantly (and without pesticides) in Florida, where it is haunted by certain mycoses. On the other hand, on average, Asian mangoes are more resistant than others to anthracosis.
Currently, the world market appears to be dominated by the "Tommy Atkins" variety, derived "from the Florida Haden". To tell the truth, this is not the tastiest cultivar, but its resistance makes it the most present on the market (for example, 80% of the market in Great Britain). In southern India the most common varieties are the "Alphonso", the "Benishaan" and the "Kesar"; in northern India and in Pakistan instead the "Chaunsa" is preferred. In Guatemala the "Mango de Leche" are widespread.
Similarly to other stone fruits, the mangoes also differ according to the characteristic of the seed (attached to the pulp or separated from the pulp). Among other things, the collection changes according to the destination; those to be consumed soon are cultured almost completely ripe (red, tender, juicy and fragrant), while export mangoes are totally green detached and matured elsewhere using ethylene.
