Is there a specific reason why mangos are so extremely fibrous?
You’re buying the wrong mangoes. I find that the Kent and Ataulfo (Manila) varieties have much less fiber than some others.
It’s a terrible thing to cut into a mango you think is perfect only to find it stringy and tough. Most likely the mangoes you are buying have been picked green.
I live in Hawaii and I can tell you that a tree-ripened mango is not fiberous. Cut them open and spoon out the middle, it’s almost like mango jelly. My favorite variety is Hayden.
If you happen to not live in a tropical climate then go to an ethnic food store and buy the Manila mangoes. When I lived in VA I would go to mexican or indian markets to buy mangoes.
When I lived in Florida, there were sellers with stalls by the roadside who used to sell mangoes, and I was invariably disappointed by the quality of the fruit (specifically the fibrosity mentioned by the OP)
I did however, have a friend who had a mango tree in his yard, which produced the most amazing mangoes, which sliced like butter, no fibrosity whatsoever.
After my return to the UK, I came to realise that buying mangoes from South America was guaranteed to disappoint …they were invariably so fibrous as to be inedible…the mangoes from Pakistan, however, were just like the ones I used to enjoy from the tree in my friend’s yard in Miami…
I have no idea what conclusions can be drawn from this …I can only relay the facts as I experienced them … and I do love me a tasty mango …
It has nothing to do with ripening, and everything to do with varietal. Some cultivars are just less stringy.
I generally have found that mangoes from old trees are stringy, but this is because the modern cultivars are so much better.
OP, if you happen have a horribly fibrous mango tree, rip it out and plant a new one.
The main mango cultivar in the US, UK, and Canada is the Tommy Atkins (see here also), which is unfortunately rather stringy. I’ve only ever seen the Atualfo variety in mainstream grocery stores (sometimes also sold as a “champagne” mango), whose flesh is much smoother than the Tommy Atkins.
So, to answer the OP, there’s no reason that a mango needs to be fibrous. There’s a lot more difference between varieties of mango than there are between varieties of, say, apple; and the market where you live may well be predominated by the fibrous varieties that ship well but are not nearly as tasty.
MikeS, in Sept-Oct, look out for the Keitt cultivars. They are grown in Florida and southern California, and mostly stay green, so you need to rely on texture/smell to tell their ripeness. Very nice flavour and texture!
Thank you for your answers! We have some incredible varieties of mangoes here in South Africa and I remember as a child that they used to be much more fibrous than the ones now available.
The reason I asked the question was because I was wondering if there is some kind of evolutionary reason for these fruits to have this much fibre, since even the new varieties still are more fibrous than any other fruit that I know of. Maybe something like protecting the stone against some insect that cannot get through the fibres or something similar. It was just a random thought that occurred to me after I had one last night, while trying to floss out a fibre or two before bed.
I have no idea what variety of mangoes are available in South Africa. Do you receive mangoes imported from India? if so, try the Alphonso (available in April-May) or Kesar varieties. They’re supposed to be among the best.