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One of the most popular and sought after mangos in Jamaica is the East Indian Mango.
And boy does this mango’s flavor pack a real punch. Not only is it one of the strongest tasting mango cultivars that I have ever tasted, but it is also hands down the most fibrous mango that I have ever tasted as well. Regardless, East Indian Mango is still amazing an amazing choice for either juicing or eating out of hand (if you can handle it 😜).
With that being said, this grow guide will cover everything that you need to know about East Indian Mango.
Table of Contents
- East Indian Mango Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
- East Indian Mango Flavor Profile
- East Indian Mango Season (And When To Pick)
- East Indian Mango Disease Resistance
- East Indian Mango History
- East Indian Mango Tree For Sale (Where To Find)
- Conclusion
East Indian Mango Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
The East Indian Mango is considered a medium to large-sized mango tree.
East Indian Mango Trees have a moderately vigorous & spreading growth habit that produces an open canopy. As a result, East Indian can realistically be kept between 15 – 20 feet tall with annual pruning. With that being said, East Indian would not do well long-term in containers and would not be considered a “condo” mango.
Due to terrible disease resistance (more on that later), East Indian’s fruit production consistently ranges from poor to fair. The mangos themselves are small-sized fruits that typically weigh between 0.5 – 1.0 lbs.
Additionally, East Indian is an oblong shaped fruit that has medium-sized shoulders that taper down to a semi-prominent beak towards the bottom of the fruit.
East Indian Mango Flavor Profile
East Indian Mangos are considered an Indian Flavored Mango.
A typical ripe and mature East Indian Mango will have yellowish-green skin in addition to a red blush towards the top of the fruit. Furthermore, at that stage, East Indian will also have powerful and resinous smell.
With that being said, slicing into the fruit will reveal a juicy orangish-yellow flesh with a very fibrous texture. In fact, this is probably the most fibrous mango cultivar that I have ever tried. The fiber is so objectionable to the point where I would personally describe the texture as eating “Mango-Flavored Dental Floss 🦷”
From a flavor perspective, East Indian Mangos have a very spicy and resinous flavor. While the fruit is without a doubt very sweet (honey-like in fact), it also possesses a very piney, spicy and deep rich flavor. Overall, the taste is very complex and can be overwhelming to those who are not used to Indian-flavored mangos.
Other than maybe Turpentine, this is one of the spiciest mangos that I have ever had. And that is coming from a guy who loves the sweet spiciness found in cultivars like Carrie and Julie… I was definitely a little overwhelmed when trying my first East Indian Mango. This ain’t your daddy’s mango! 😆
Overall, assuming you enjoy mangos with a spicy and rich flavor, East Indian is probably best used as a juicing mango vs eating out of hand due to it’s crazy amount of fibers. However, if one is looking for a sweet fiberless mango with a more-balanced spiciness component, one should consider checking out either Kesar Mango or White Pirie Mango.
Finally, it’s worth noting that East Indian Mangos produce polyembryonic seeds, which means that planting a seed from an East Indian Mango can yield another East Indian Mango Tree.
East Indian Mango Season (And When To Pick)
East Indian Mangos are considered an early season mango (May – June).
With that being said, the best time to pick East Indian Mangos are when they are mature and beginning to ripen on the tree. From a color perspective, this is when the fruit is beginning to show signs of yellow color break. East Indian is perfectly ripe when the majority of the fruit transitions to a golden yellow color; some green splotching may also be present, but that is perfectly normal.
Additionally, East Indian may also have a pinkish-orange blush that can cover 25% – 75% of the fruit’s skin. However, it’s important to remember that the red blush on the top of the mango has nothing to do with the fruit’s ripeness. A rule of thumb to remember is that More Sun = More Red, Less Sun = Less Red.
In Jamaica, aside from color, the most common method of telling whether an East Indian Mango is ready is by gently squeezing the fruit to see if the fruit has a slight give. If the fruit is too soft/mushy when gentle pressure is applied, they are likely overripe. On the other hand, the fruit should not be picked if it is as hard as a rock.
After the fruit is picked, the fruit can be placed in a paper bag and stored in a warm area (like a garage or porch) for a couple days to speed up the ripening process.
That being said, here are some additional tips to knowing when an East Indian Mango is ready to pick:
- Has the fruit fattened up?
- Are there lenticels (little dots) present on the fruit?
- How does the stem look? It’s it drying up near where it connects to the fruit?
- Are there beads of sap present on the fruit?
- Is the fruit’s skin beginning to stretch?
East Indian Mango Disease Resistance
East Indian Mango is highly susceptible to Anthracnose, Powdery Mildew, and Bacterial Black Spot.
As a result, if you plan to plant an East Indian Mango Tree, an active spraying regimen is crucial to reduce disease pressures and achieve decent fruit production.
East Indian Mango History
East Indian Mangos were first introduced to Jamaica from Bombay, India, back in the 1800s. Since then, East Indian has become one of the most highly sought-after and popular cultivars in Jamaica.
Fun Fact: There is another mango cultivar called West Indian grown by Walter Zill; however, it has nothing to do with East Indian—it is a completely different cultivar.
East Indian Mango Tree For Sale (Where To Find)
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Conclusion
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