The more consumers learn about mangoes, the more mangoes they buy, importers say.
“Every year, mango consumption seems to go up a little bit,” said Michael Warren, CEO at Central American Produce, Pompano Beach, Fla.
“Mangoes are becoming more popular as people find out about some of their benefits,” he said.
For example, the kent variety has low fiber content and good flavor, Warren said. Still, some consumers will pay a premium for the haden variety.
“As consumers become more educated, they learn that each variety is unique in flavor, the amount of fiber, the right time to eat it,” he said.
The most popular mango varieties in terms of volume imported into the U.S. are tommy atkins, kent, ataulfo (or honey mango) and keitt, said Tammy Wiard, senior retail marketing manager for the Orlando, Fla.-based National Mango Board.
“Each variety is unique, as they collectively offer a wide range of characteristics that have proven to be appealing to consumers — aroma, texture, fiber content, sizing and color,” she said.
Ronnie Cohen, principal at Vision Import Group, River Edge, N.J., said each mango variety has a following.
“Every mango that is picked and managed properly can have a decent flavor profile,” he said.
Some varieties are popular seasonally, he added, like the ataulfo variety out of Mexico.
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“It’s a fibreless piece of fruit, it eats well, it’s medium- to small-size fruit, and it’s very smooth and creamy and flavorful,” Cohen said.
He also likes tommy atkins mangoes, which he said are “generally firm and have a nice blush.”
The external color of the mango does not affect the internal flavor profile, Cohen said. Kent, keitt and honey varieties are better-eating mangoes, in his opinion.
Kent and keitt mangoes are similar varieties, said Hector Soltero, vice president of sales operations for Mission Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif. They have a darker green skin with a red or pink blush.
“While both have sweet flavor profiles, keitts are generally more fruity with citrus notes, while Kents can be more tropical with peachy notes,” he said.
Tommy atkins mangoes are typically covered in a dark red blush, with green or orange-yellow accents, Soltero said.
“They smell like tropical and citrus fruit and generally taste tart with sweet notes,” he said.
Hadens are known for their vibrant colors — mostly red with green and yellow overtones and small, light-colored speckles, he said.
They can smell tropical with peach notes, and their taste is a combination of sweet and sour.
Warren of Central American Produce believes younger consumers and their children are likely to boost future mango consumption.
“They’re more experimental and looking for new things,” he said. “They want the knowledge, and the knowledge is available digitally on a very big platform for young people today.”
Cohen of Vision Import Group agreed that people are learning more about mangoes.
“The industry has been working hard to continually educate everybody in the supply chain, from the growers to the end consumer,” he said. “As the commodity matures, I think you are going to see more and more consumption, and people are really going to key in on the varieties.”
Immigrants to the U.S. often prefer mangoes that are popular in their homeland, Cohen said.
“Everybody is looking for their mango, the variety they had in their native country or where their ancestry is from,” he said. “They tend to like that.”