It was in Moghul India in the sixteenth century that a special technique was developed for propagating mango vegetatively, a method that employs grafting. Mangos do not grow true from seed but revert back to the highly fibrous fruit that tastes like turpentine.

With successful cultivation of mangoes throughout the world today, over 1,000 different varieties have been developed with fruits that vary in size from 2" (5 cm) to 10" (25 cm) in length and weigh from 4 oz. (100 g) to 4.5 lbs. (2 kg). The color of the mango's thin, inedible skin varies considerably, depending on variety, from all yellow, red on one side and green on the other, all green with a touch of color, to others that may be quite colorful with areas of red, green, and yellow. Shapes vary from round to oval to elongated, but most of the mangoes that appear in the supermarkets are generally oval and flat sided.

The seed within the mango is unlike any other in the fruit kingdom. It is long, almost the entire length of the mango, and wide, almost the entire width of the fruit. The seed is almost flat in depth and offers a plump, fleshy area of fruit on both flat sides. The seed has fibrous matter clinging to it, but the fruit itself has an intense yellow-orange colored flesh that is creamy, smooth and silky with a sweet, yet tangy flavor.

Typical mango season is from May through September when prices are fairly attractive, with the peak during July and August. With the ease of importing and exporting fruits, mangoes are available throughout the year if one doesn't mind spending the extra dollars when they are out of season.

So revered is the mango tree in its home country that it has become a symbol of love. Offerings of mango leaves are presented at wedding ceremonies, a ritual that guarantees the couple will bear many children. In the villages there is a powerful belief that the mango trees grow new leaves each time a son is born. To herald the new birth to their neighbors, doorways are decorated with mango leaves.

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