Mango Fruit Varieties

Small Varieties

• Although mangoes in most grocery stores average around 12 oz., there are mangoes that are as small as plums. These smaller varieties are nice for individual servings or a light dessert. Pico is a sweet yellowish-orange type with thick skin and Champagne has creamy smooth texture. Ataulfo has one of the thinnest seeds of any mango, is stringless and has a great seed-to-flesh ratio. Van Dyke has pretty red skin and a spicy sweet flavor. The Ice Cream mango is a dwarf yellow-skinned cultivar that actually tastes somewhat like mango sorbet.

Large Varieties

• At least two world records are held by the variety Florida Kiett. The latest was from the Philippines, weighing in at over 5 lbs. Although mammoth, it's tender and sweet. Beverly can weigh up to 3 lbs. and is creamy and aromatic, although not as beautiful as other fruits with its simple green color. Lancetilla hails from Honduras and can weigh 2 to 5 lbs., with sweet aromatic fruits having tough skins. Jakarta ripens to a deep orange with white dots and while Kent doesn't color up like some mangoes, it is creamy smooth and sweet even with greenish skin.

Red or Purple Skins

• Some mangoes get a gorgeous red to purple skin, making them look even more inviting. Irwin is aromatic and has melt-in-your-mouth smoothness, as well as crimson skin. Osteen has purple fruits that are fiberless with small seeds. Palmer is a semi-dwarf type with elongated red fruit that's juicy and sweet. Excel is a variety from Hawaii with beautiful fruits of high quality.

Dwarf Varieties

• Dwarf varieties are great for those with limited space. These dwarf mangoes are nicknamed "condo" mangoes because they are small enough to be put into pots on decks and patios. Julie is a dwarf with flattened oval fruits with deep orange fiberless flesh. Manilita come from Mexico, with pastel red skin and sweet yellow flesh. Neelum is yellow and has no blush and may be too rich for people not accustomed to eating mangoes regularly.