| It's probably safe to say, that when
| |
| | earmarked billions of dollars for a 15
|
| asked which fruit is the most popular
| |
| | year development program that will
|
| fruit in the world, the majority of
| |
| | include more than 20,000 new condos and
|
| Americans and Canadians would respond
| |
| | villas with the associated
|
| with apples or bananas. That response
| |
| | infrastructure. This entire area is
|
| would be normal, but far from accurate.
| |
| | surrounded by mango orchards where
|
| To the astonishment of most North
| |
| | approximately 1.5 million metric tons of
|
| Americans, mangoes are consumed worldwide
| |
| | mangoes are grown annually, making Mexico
|
| by a factor of three to one over bananas
| |
| | the third largest producer of mangoes
|
| and ten to one over apples. Although
| |
| | after India and China.
|
| mangoes are still considered to be exotic
| |
| | After vacationing in Vallarta two or
|
| fruits in America, ranking as number 24
| |
| | three times a year for 15 years we
|
| of the top 25 fruits consumed in the US,
| |
| | decided to move there in 1997 and make
|
| they are considered to be staples in
| |
| | Vallarta our permanent retirement
|
| India, South Asia, China, and Latin
| |
| | destination. We bought our dream villa on
|
| America; often being referred to as "the
| |
| | the mountainside with a panoramic view of
|
| king of the fruits". Evidently, those in
| |
| | Banderas Bay in an area known as the
|
| the many far corners of the world have
| |
| | Beverly Hills of Vallarta. One of our
|
| learned something that has yet to be
| |
| | first projects was to landscape the ½
|
| discovered in North America!
| |
| | acre mountainside lot. With an abundance
|
| There are over 2,000 different varieties
| |
| | of tropical flowers and fruit trees
|
| of mangoes ranging in size from a few
| |
| | available, the choice of plants was
|
| ounces to as much as four pounds. One
| |
| | difficult and somewhat overwhelming.
|
| thing they all have in common is their
| |
| | After living in the States for 55 years,
|
| nutritional value; mangoes are a
| |
| | we were virtually oblivious to the
|
| fantastic source of vitamins C and E,
| |
| | qualities that mangoes had to offer.
|
| niacin, potassium, iron, and beta
| |
| | However, due to their abundance in the
|
| carotene which converts to vitamin A in
| |
| | local supermarkets, we decided to give
|
| the body.
| |
| | them a try. To our surprise, they were
|
| The fresh, ripe mango is a very juicy and
| |
| | absolutely delicious; perhaps better than
|
| sweet fruit with a unique and delicious
| |
| | any fruit we'd ever had! A decade later,
|
| taste. Some mangoes have a soft and pulpy
| |
| | after enjoying a constant supply of
|
| texture similar to an over-ripe plum,
| |
| | mangoes for ten years, it's hard to
|
| while others have a firmer flesh similar
| |
| | imagine that we went a lifetime without
|
| to that of a cantaloupe.
| |
| | enjoying mangoes and that so many other
|
| Mangoes are widely used in chutney, fruit
| |
| | North Americans have also missed out on
|
| bars, cereal products, juices, pies, ice
| |
| | this experience.
|
| creams, and even milk shakes. Although a
| |
| | Okay, back to the landscaping project.
|
| little messy due to their high juice
| |
| | Since we were introduced to the numerous
|
| content, they can be enjoyed simply by
| |
| | beneficial qualities that the mangoes
|
| slicing the fruit as you would a peach or
| |
| | offered, we decided to plant some mango
|
| pear.
| |
| | trees and were directed to a nursery in
|
| Okay, now that we know what the most
| |
| | Nayarit, about 10 miles from home. The
|
| popular fruit in the world is, we must
| |
| | nursery was located on the edge of a huge
|
| determine from where in the world these
| |
| | mango orchard where mangoes grew as far
|
| mangoes come. Mangoes are grown
| |
| | as the eye could see.
|
| throughout the tropics but India is by
| |
| | The owners of the orchard / nursery gave
|
| far the largest producer and consumer of
| |
| | us a short presentation on mangoes,
|
| mangoes in the world. In fact, for more
| |
| | briefly outlining the differences between
|
| than 6,000 years, mango trees have been a
| |
| | the varieties grown there. After the
|
| status symbol in India. Behind India are
| |
| | presentation, they asked us why we were
|
| other areas within South Asia and parts
| |
| | buying mango trees. We informed them that
|
| of Australia. It wasn't until the 19th
| |
| | we loved the taste of mangoes and were
|
| century that mangoes were introduced to
| |
| | landscaping our new yard and thought it
|
| parts of Africa, South America, Hawaii,
| |
| | would be nice to have fresh mangoes
|
| and Mexico.
| |
| | available. As is so typical in Mexico,
|
| For years, India has been unsuccessfully
| |
| | rather than selling us some mango trees,
|
| negotiating the exportation of mangoes to
| |
| | they suggested we save the time, hassle,
|
| the US, however just recently some
| |
| | and money and just help ourselves to the
|
| agreements have been finalized, clearing
| |
| | mangoes. They pointed out to the orchard
|
| the way for exportation of mangoes from
| |
| | and indicated that there were millions of
|
| India to the US. In return, they will
| |
| | mangoes and that we could have all that
|
| allow the US to export peas, beans,
| |
| | we wanted for free; they would even help
|
| almonds, and would you believe, Harley
| |
| | us fill up the car if we needed help! We
|
| Davidson motorcycles to India. Of those
| |
| | never did buy those trees but do have an
|
| mangoes that currently make their way to
| |
| | unlimited supply of those delicious
|
| the US and Canada, approximately 80% come
| |
| | mangoes!
|
| from Mexico with the majority being grown
| |
| | That was one of our first lessons learned
|
| in the Mexican state of Nayarit which is
| |
| | in Vallarta as it pertains to the Mexican
|
| on the same latitude as Hawaii.
| |
| | hospitality. It's no wonder that Puerto
|
| Nayarit, one of Mexico's 31 states, is
| |
| | Vallarta was selected as the friendliest
|
| located along the Pacific Ocean having
| |
| | resort destination in the world by a
|
| its southern border with the state of
| |
| | recent survey of Conde Nast readers. One
|
| Jalisco. The beautiful tourist
| |
| | of the reasons for the friendliness of
|
| destination and retirement community of
| |
| | the area is probably due to its perfect
|
| Puerto Vallarta lies at the border of
| |
| | climate. Not only perfect for mangoes,
|
| these two states with its downtown area
| |
| | but with an average daily temperature of
|
| or El Centro located in Jalisco and Nuevo
| |
| | 73°F for seven months of the year, it's
|
| Vallarta located in Nayarit. Puerto
| |
| | perfect for its residents.
|
| Vallarta is located at the northern end
| |
| | In summarizing, if you're interested in
|
| of the Mexican Riviera and just recently,
| |
| | sampling some of the most popular fruit
|
| Fonatur, the National Tourism and
| |
| | in the world, you might just want to
|
| Development Board of Mexico, has coined
| |
| | visit the most popular resort destination
|
| the term Riviera Nayarit for that section
| |
| | in the world, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico,
|
| of pristine and majestic Pacific
| |
| | and have some real fun while sipping your
|
| shoreline in the state of Nayarit. As a
| |
| | mango margarita!
|
| note of interest, Fonatur has recently
| |
| |
|
