More Mangoes

In Paradise the fruit and leaves of the mango trees have a redder hue to them as they ripen.

Egypt is the 10th largest mango producer yet it only produces about 1% of the world's total production. India produces 39%. The first mango tree was planted in Egypt in 1825. It was an Indian variety that came via Sri Lanka. The "Hindi" remains one of the most important Egyptian varieties. However, it is the "Pairi" variety which is said to have the best flavour. Pairi mangoes appeared in the blog a few days ago. They have the red-flush to their skin. Most of Egypt's production is consumed locally, often as juice from a box.


To put the mango tree in perspective, here is one growing amidst the date palms behind our flat.

The Luxor region produces about 3% of the country's fruit. Most of Egypt's mangoes are grown in the Delta and Ismailia areas. I remember being amazed by the massive quantity of mango crates in the Ismailia market one August when I visited the Time Traveller there a long time ago. As the story goes, "Once upon a time . . . . "