Mangoes

[Ulysses G.]

Right now, mangoes taste better than any other type during the year, but I still don't know which ones are the best types to try. I tend to ask for the prettiest ones I see and hope that I get lucky. Do any of you real culture vultures know the Thai names of the better types, so that we can try different ones?

[harrry]

Right now, mangoes taste better than any other type during the year, but I still don't know which ones are the best types to try. I tend to ask for the prettiest ones I see and hope that I get lucky. Do any of you real culture vultures know the Thai names of the better types, so that we can try different ones?

I just buy the ones sold by the prettiest girl. They allways taste good.

Edited May 20, 2009 by harrry

[daoyai]

I like the ones that are kind of long and rounded on both ends with a little pink and green color on the yellow skin. They have a very unique aroma. In Hawaii they were called "cigar" mangos. I am not sure but I think here they call them hawn dok malie, or something like that due to the flowery smell. I really like them all.

[Ajarn]

Naam Dawt Mai are the best tasting in my opinion. Thet are the largest being sold, generally. Available everywhere

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm a culuture vulture.

When in doubt about any fruit, buy the most expensive ones.

Easy.

Also the Lychees are seriously in season right now.. Cheap cheap cheap..

[elektrified]

Right now, mangoes taste better than any other type during the year, but I still don't know which ones are the best types to try. I tend to ask for the prettiest ones I see and hope that I get lucky. Do any of you real culture vultures know the Thai names of the better types, so that we can try different ones?

I just buy the ones sold by the prettiest girl. They allways taste good.

Haha that doesn't always hold true. Sometimes the real lookers with a nice smile sell crap!

[venturalaw]

Naam Dawt Mai are the best tasting in my opinion. Thet are the largest being sold, generally. Available everywhere

Just had one this morning - this is what my Thai wife said too - Naam Dawt Mai are the best.

[Ulysses G.]

Does anyone know what kind are sold all year round now (they did not used to be)? They are almost the bright orange color of a peach inside.

There is another type that years ago were the prefered ones to use for mangoes and sticky rice. They were more bright yellow inside than orange and had a different taste. I hardly ever see them using them any more.

[venturalaw]

Does anyone know what kind are sold all year round now (they did not used to be)? They are almost the bright orange color of a peach inside.

There is another type that years ago were the prefered ones to use for mangoes and sticky rice. They were more bright yellow inside than orange and had a different taste. I hardly ever see them using them any more.

My wife knows - but can't think of the name now - she said they are sold at Ringping. We'll provide the name after our next trip to Ringping unless another poster beats us to it.

[cmsally]

Mango varieties

Can't offhand think of any not covered in the link.

Except friends of ours have been growing a huge imported Australian variety which are the same size as a decent papaya. One mango = a whole meal.

They taste good too. Occasionally seen for sale here.

[mauGR1]

Right now, mangoes taste better than any other type during the year, but I still don't know which ones are the best types to try. I tend to ask for the prettiest ones I see and hope that I get lucky. Do any of you real culture vultures know the Thai names of the better types, so that we can try different ones?

I am a mango vulture,IMO the prettiest ones are good,but i like more the smaller ones,not so nice looking, which are less sweet but more perfumed.Now you can find them for a very low price. i noticed that very often the good looking fruits are more expensive and less tasty than the rough looking ones.

[Samuian]

Agree with #3 thought the most favored one by thai is called "nam do:k mai"...and 2nd "hua chang"

in southern India the "alfonso" mind bending!

Edited May 20, 2009 by Samuian

[lioness]

Naam Dawt Mai are the best tasting in my opinion. Thet are the largest being sold, generally. Available everywhere

Definately the pick of all mangoes, juicy, aromatic, mouth wateringly delicious I love Mango season.

[Maccheroncini]

UG, I loves mango.  I reccommend "มะม่วงมหาชนก" "Ma ha sha nok" mango.  It is not as popular as Nam Dok Mai.

I think Nam Dok Mai is way too sweet and has no aroma.  Ma ha sha nok smell heavenly and not too sweet.

If you like "mango and sticky rice desert"  you should ask for 'Oak Rong' มะม่วงอกร่อง instead of Nam dok mai.

It is the "Original Mango" to be eaten with sticky rice.  Naam dok mai is a new breed designed to be sweet, big but to me lack of aroma.

Right now, mangoes taste better than any other type during the year, but I still don't know which ones are the best types to try. I tend to ask for the prettiest ones I see and hope that I get lucky. Do any of you real culture vultures know the Thai names of the better types, so that we can try different ones?

[Ulysses G.]

Thanks everyone. I think that Maccheroncini found the missing mango that I've wondered about for years. 'Oak Rong' มะม่วงอกร่อง has a very unique flavor and I look forward to trying "มะม่วงมหาชนก" "Ma ha sha nok" mango.

Edited May 20, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[IanForbes]

I love ripe mangos. I only get a slight taste of them before I leave for home in Canada each year at the end of March. They seem to start ripening about February in the south before they ripen locally and I can often get ripe ones in Krabi or Pattaya before I find them in the markets of Chiang Mai. The Thais seem to like them green and hard, but I just find them bitter at that stage. I normally just ask the vendor to pick out some ripe ones for me because they have a better "feel" for it, without the mango being over ripe. That is the one problem with certain fruit like mangos, melons, peaches and plums. There is a narrow window between being ripe and starting to decay. With apples you have a much broader window.

Here in Canada we get imported mangos from Mexico. Some shipments are okay but most are too green when they arrive and you have to wait for them to ripen at home. That means they will never be as sweet as tree ripened fruit. Unlike the mangos of Thailand which are mostly yellow when ripe, the mangos from Mexico have a blush of pink and red on a yellow skin.

I'm glad to see this topic because I didn't know there were many types of mangos in Thailand. I'll have to copy the answers for when I return.

[gatorhead333]

Does anyone know what kind are sold all year round now (they did not used to be)? They are almost the bright orange color of a peach inside.

There is another type that years ago were the prefered ones to use for mangoes and sticky rice. They were more bright yellow inside than orange and had a different taste. I hardly ever see them using them any more.

the desert mango nom duk mai is the most common one sold in ringping but we have several mango trees different kinds and some of the mangos non duk mais are wonderful too. the trick is naturally ripe many mangos are great if you like mangos and cheap relative to nom duk mais

the fruit is a reason for living here.

[IanForbes]

the fruit is a reason for living here.

You've got that right. I love all the fresh fruit in Thailand. The apples and strawberries are not nearly as good as in Canada, and you can't find good peaches if you can find them at all, but the price of oranges, melons, pineapple, mangos, bananas, starfruit, and mangosteens makes it all worth while. Fresh fruit is a main staple in my diet and I really only need to eat one good proper meal each day.

[Maccheroncini]

the fruit is a reason for living here.

You've got that right. I love all the fresh fruit in Thailand. The apples and strawberries are not nearly as good as in Canada, and you can't find good peaches if you can find them at all, but the price of oranges, melons, pineapple, mangos, bananas, starfruit, and mangosteens makes it all worth while. Fresh fruit is a main staple in my diet and I really only need to eat one good proper meal each day.

'Ma Prang' or Ma young chit are nice too, just out of season.  

[venturalaw]

Thanks everyone. I think that Maccheroncini found the missing mango that I've wondered about for years. 'Oak Rong' มะม่วงอกร่อง has a very unique flavor and I look forward to trying "มะม่วงมหาชนก" "Ma ha sha nok" mango.

Yep, มะม่วงมหาชนก - Ma ha sha nok is the mango at Ringping. I prefer the sweeter Man Bok Mai - it's all a matter of taste.

[elektrified]

the fruit is a reason for living here.

You've got that right. I love all the fresh fruit in Thailand. The apples and strawberries are not nearly as good as in Canada, and you can't find good peaches if you can find them at all, but the price of oranges, melons, pineapple, mangos, bananas, starfruit, and mangosteens makes it all worth while. Fresh fruit is a main staple in my diet and I really only need to eat one good proper meal each day.

'Ma Prang' or Ma young chit are nice too, just out of season.

Those are great, but over 100 THB per kilo when they first appear on the market. Towards the end of the season prices come down to a more realistic level. We have a tree that we are nurturing but probably a couple more years before it produces fruit.

[cmsally]

Ma Prang 100Bt/kilo??

I never thought they were that popular!

There are the sweet ones and the sour ones though.

Never heard of Ma Young Chit??

One of my favourites is Starfruit (Ma fuaeng)

[Tinkelbell]

quoted from 'maccheroncini'...........

"If you like "mango and sticky rice desert" you should ask for 'Oak Rong' มะม่วงอกร่อง instead of Nam dok mai.

It is the "Original Mango" to be eaten with sticky rice. Naam dok mai is a new breed designed to be sweet, big but to me lack of aroma.

............................................................................

From this quoted, it convinces me that ' maccheroncini' have been around TL for sometimes, he/she really knows the stuff he's talking about.

Eating sticky rice (topped with 'kati') with Oak Rong' มะม่วงอกร่องhas been Thai classic desert for century. It will stay popular for many many years to come. The Oak Rong has a very tasty sweet meat, the texture is smooth and very nice strong aroma.

Many top restaurants around BKK will serve the sticky rice with Oak Rong only, no other kind.

I was in TL last week, my all time favorite fruit is 'Long-Gong'.

Lucky me, it's in season now, everyday I could eat 1-1 1/2 kg in one sitting. Prices are varies depend on the location, I paid between 100THB/kg around Rama4, but you can get for 40THB/kg around Tha Prachan (next to Thamasart Univ). That what I try to tell all farang tourists.

[Maccheroncini]

I could eat 1-1 1/2 kg of Lychee in one sitting too

[cmsally]

I could eat 1-1 1/2 kg of Lychee in one sitting too

Me too, and they are very cheap, so we will probably be very sick this year.

[GarryP]

There is currently a sale of seasonal fruit at Manorom on Rama IV Road, BKK. I don't know if they have mangoes but the missus picked up some Rambutan (spelling?) otherwise know as ngo, lychees, and something else which slips my mind. The prices are really good as is the quality.

[Sandstone Art]

I could eat 1-1 1/2 kg of Lychee in one sitting too

Me too, and they are very cheap, so we will probably be very sick this year.

Lychee and Mangoes has some kind of 'internal heat' that makes us sick after taking too much.

Usually, I try to balance up by taking other kind of fruits or more vitamin C. eg pure lemon juice with soda and honey is very good alternative diet balance for 'heaty food stuff'

Or green tea with barley in yellow bottle is good too!

Cheers! Happy eatting and not forget to drink too!

[Ulysses G.]

Lychee and Mangoes has some kind of 'internal heat' that makes us sick after taking too much.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that is only Durian that heats the body up.

[Steve2UK]

Mango varieties

Can't offhand think of any not covered in the link.

Except friends of ours have been growing a huge imported Australian variety which are the same size as a decent papaya. One mango = a whole meal.

They taste good too. Occasionally seen for sale here.

I'm grateful to cmsally for this link - which has helped me identify the particular mango tree I have in my garden ("plaam" I think) which is producing prodigious quantities of delicious fruits this year (helped by my expenditure on water and fertiliser over the last few dry months).

Clicking on the varieties on that site also shows a graphic of what I find is the best way to prep them for eating (tip - use a sharp knife with a rounded end rather than a point) - though I don't bother with the fork...... just get stuck in with tongue and teeth:

[Sandstone Art]

Lychee and Mangoes has some kind of 'internal heat' that makes us sick after taking too much.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that is only Durian that heats the body up.

Yes. Agree that Durain being the 'King' of all fruits contain the most 'heat' when consumed!

ps

Wonder if it is applicable for ladies that over consume them??