Fun Mango Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Mangoes
 
Mango Facts for Kids
Check  out our fun mango facts for kids. Learn interesting information about the height of a mango tree and popular mango varieties.
Which country produces and consumes the most mangoes? What meals and juices use the mango as an ingredient? The mango is the national fruit of which countries? Find out the answers to these questions and much  more with our fun mango facts for kids!
 
The mango is one of the most cultivated  fruits in tropical areas of the world, it is native to the South Asian areas of  Eastern India , Burma and the  Andaman Islands.
Buddhist monks are believed to have introduced  the mango to Malaysia and  eastern Asia around the 5th century B.C. Legend  has it that the God Buddha found tranquillity and meditated under the cool  shade of a mango tree.
The evergreen mango tree can grow as  high as 35 - 40 m (115–130 ft).They are a long living tree with some specimens having  been known to still bear fruit after 300 years.
The flowers of a mango tree are small  and white with five petals, and the fruit takes between three and six months to  ripen.
Mango fruit can come in various  shapes, size and colour including yellow, orange, red and green.
Mangos contain many nutrients. The vitamin  content depends on the variety and maturity of the fruit. When a mango is green  and still growing there is a high  vitamin C content, as the fruit ripens and  matures the amount of beta carotene (vitamin A) increases.
Nearly half of the world's mangoes  are produced in India, but the country accounts for less than one percent of  the international mango trade due to the fact India consumes most of its own  production.
More fresh mangoes are eaten around  the world every day than any other fruit.
Mangoes are a very common food used  in a number of cuisines around the world especially in the tropics. The fruit  is used in all types of meals and courses such as breakfast, lunch, dinner,  dessert and used in refreshing juices.
Sour, unripe mangoes can be used in  chutneys, pickles, as side dishes, or eaten raw on a stick dipped in salt,  black pepper, chilli, lime, or soy sauce.
Mango lassi is a very popular drink throughout  South Asia, it is a combination of ripe  mangoes or mango pulp with buttermilk and sugar. Aamras is also a popular thick  juice made of mangoes with sugar or milk, and is often consumed with bread or  rice. Mangoes are added to smoothies and as a topping on ice cream.
Mango salsa and chutney are very  popular as accompaniments to salads, chicken, and fish or served as a snack.
Ripe mangoes are often used as an  ingredient in curries.
The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines.  It is also the national tree of Bangladesh.
In India and several other cultures  the mango fruit and leaves are ritually used as floral decorations at weddings,  public celebrations and religious ceremonies.
Giving someone a basket of mangoes  is considered a gesture of friendship.
Common mango varieties in countries  such as the US and UK include: Tommy Atkins, Haden, Kent,  Keitt, Ataulfo and Francis. In Asian countries such as India popular  varieties include Alphonso, Benishaan, Kesar and Chaunsa.