National Mango Day 2023: History, Significance, and interesting facts about the King of Fruits

On this National Mango Day, let us take a look at the history, significance, and some really interesting facts about the tasty fruit.

The exact reason behind the celebration of National Mango Day in India is unknown, but it has always been an integral part of Indian culture, and for years, India has been the largest producer of the fruit.

People have been growing mango in India for 5,000 years, according to historical information and reports.

In 1987, the National Horticulture Board of India came up with the idea of organising an International Mango Festival with the aim to promote the fruit. This is how the idea of dedicating a day for mangoes came up and later it turned into an annual celebration.

The scientific name of mango is Mangifera indica, which explains that it is an Indian fruit bearing plant. The generic name "mango" is a derivation of the Malayan word 'manna' but when the Portuguese came to Kerala, they named it 'manga', and eventually it became ‘mango’ in English and ‘aam’ in Hindi.

Its seeds spread from India to other regions of the world, and later, many South Asian countries started growing mangoes.

Mango is also used as an exchange of love and friendship in the Indian community. After the first season of mango, relatives, friends, and families often exchange baskets full of mangoes to savour the taste and uphold relations. For ages, mango trees have also been used to treat several diseases, as their leaves, bark, and skin are all used in preparation of traditional medicines.

· Apart from India, mango is also the national fruit of Pakistan and the Philippines.

· India is the world’s biggest producer of mangoes.

· Mangoes, cashews, and pistachios all belong to the same family, the Anacardiaceae.

· The Japanese mango, Miyazaki, is the most expensive mango in the world. It costs around Rs 2.75 lakh per kg.

· A ripe mango has 14 percent sugar and 0.5 percent acid by weight.