Carabao (mango)

For other uses, see Carabao (disambiguation).

Mangifera 'Carabao'

Top: Ripe 'Carabao' mangoes from Bukidnon
Bottom: Ripe and unripe 'Carabao' mangoes from Bulacan
GenusMangifera
Cultivar'Carabao'
Marketing namesCarabao mango,
Philippine mango,
Champagne mango,
Manila mango,
Manila super mango,
Honey mango,
Manggang kalabaw
OriginPhilippines

The Carabao mango, also known as the Philippine mango or Manila mango among other names, is a variety of particularly sweet mango from the Philippines.[1] It is one of the most important varieties of mango cultivated in the Philippines. The variety is reputed internationally due to its sweetness and exotic taste.[2][3] The mango variety was listed as the sweetest in the world by the 1995 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.[4] It is named after the carabao, the national animal of the Philippines and a native Filipino breed of domesticated water buffalo.[5][6]

Carabao mangoes are around 12.5 cm (5 in) in length and 8.5 cm (3+1⁄4 in) in diameter. These fruits are kidney-shaped and can range from being short to elongated. When ripe, the fruit is bright yellow. The flesh is a rich yellow in color with a tender melting consistency, very sweet, and very aromatic. Like other Southeast Asian-type mangoes, it is polyembryonic (in contrast to Indian-type mangoes). Unripe or underripe carabao mangoes are very sour, and are traditionally eaten with condiments like shrimp paste, salt, vinegar, and/or soy sauce or pickled into burong mangga. Fruiting season is usually from late May to early July.[7][8][9]

There are 14 different strains of Carabao mango.[10] These strains include the Talaban and Fresco of Guimaras, MMSU Gold of the Ilocos Region and Lamao and Sweet Elena of Zambales. A comparative study conducted by Bureau of Agricultural Research of the Department of Agriculture in 2003 found that the Sweet Elena of Zambales is the sweetest Carabao mango strain.[11]

The Mexican Ataulfo and Manilita mango cultivars descended from the Philippine mango through the Manila galleon trade between 1600 and 1800. Both of these cultivars are sometimes referred to as "Manila mangoes" in trade.[12][13] During the American colonial period of the Philippines, the Carabao mango was also known as the champagne mango, a name which is now also applied in North American markets to the similar descendant cultivar, Ataulfo.[14][15] Another common market name for the cultivar is honey mango, which is also used for Ataulfo.[16][17]

  1. ^ P.F., Baldiviano; F.M., Rodriguez; Breeding), Mendoza, E.M.T. (Philippines Univ. Los Banos, College, Laguna (Philippines). Inst. of Plant (1999). "Variation in polyphenol profile and content of different strains of mango (Mangifera indica L.) var. Carabao and effects of environment". Philippine Journal of Crop Science (Philippines). Retrieved October 16, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Course:Go Mango, Hit the Jackpot!". E-Learning for Agriculture and Fisheries. Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  3. ^ Delmo, Gemma (December 10, 2010). "Carabao mango: Philippine's sweet pride". Far Eastern Agriculture. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  4. ^ Bayarong, Anthony (April 9, 2011). "Farmers urged to produce sweet mangoes for export". Sun Star Pampanga. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  5. ^ Osborne, Christine (1989). Southeast Asian Food and Drink. Bookwright Press. p. 12. ISBN 9780531182345.
  6. ^ "Carabao: National Animal Of The Philippines". Safaripedia. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021.
  7. ^ Western, Peter Jansen (1920). The Mango. Manila: Bureau of Printing.
  8. ^ Sanchez, Priscilla C. (2008). Philippine Fermented Foods: Principles and Technology. University of the Philippines Press. p. 234. ISBN 9789715425544.
  9. ^ "Green Mango & Bagoong". Market Manila. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Reyes, Rizal Raoul (May 20, 2014). "PMSFC modernizing mango farming in PHL". Business Mirror. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  11. ^ Fernandez, Rudy (December 2, 2006). "Zambales Mango is RP's Sweetest". Philippine Star. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  12. ^ Rocha, Franklin H.; Infante, Francisco; Quilantán, Juan; Goldarazena, Arturo; Funderburk, Joe E. (March 2012). "'Ataulfo' Mango Flowers Contain a Diversity of Thrips (Thysanoptera)". Florida Entomologist. 95 (1): 171–178. doi:10.1653/024.095.0126.
  13. ^ Adams, Lisa J. (June 19, 2005). "Mexico tries to claim 'Manila mango' name as its own". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  14. ^ Stone, Daniel (2018). The Food Explorer The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 148. ISBN 9781101990605.
  15. ^ Sauco, Victor Galan (2009). El Cultivo del Mango. Ediciones Mundi-Prensa. p. 70. ISBN 9788484766179.
  16. ^ Jacob, Dianne (2016). "The Meaning of Mangoes". Best Food Writing 2016. Hachette Books. ISBN 9780738219455.
  17. ^ "The golden fruit of the Philippines: Manila Mango". The Mixed Culture. Retrieved April 18, 2024.